Down to the Marrow
by Nitrospira
Summary: "I've been working on a present for you. Well, 'technically' it's more of a medical experiment." After being released from the confines of Aperture, Chell is reminded that omniscient AIs rarely forgive. But they never forget.
1. Prologue: The Cube is a Lie

**Down to the Marrow**

_By Aradien_

Summary: "I've been working on a present for you. Well, I guess it's more of a medical procedure… _well_, technically it's more of a medical experiment. But the important thing is it's a present." After being released from the confines of Aperture, Chell is reminded that omniscient AIs rarely forgive. But they _never_ forget.

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><p><strong>AN:** This Prologue isn't entirely necessary to understanding the plot - it just gives some backstory. If you want fast-paced story-telling right away, feel free to head straight for chapter one. Cave Johnson would most certainly approve of that decision.

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><p><strong>Prologue: The Cube is not a Lie<strong>

Chell knew that there was something horribly wrong when a charred, battered Companion Cube joined her in the desolate wheat field just outside of Aperture Science.

She strode towards it on jelly legs, her mind still reeling after her impossible escape from a facility that had brought her face-to-face with death on occasions too numerous to count. It made absolutely no sense how an Intelligence Dampening Sphere she'd actually _somewhat_ trusted ended up betraying her, whereas a potato containing her robotic nemesis ended up rescuing her from suffocating in space. Yet despite the mixture of shock and surprise it caused, she was happy to see that her Cube had miraculously survived the incinerator. Or at least _happier_ than watching that 'other' thing she'd killed undergo a resurrection.

She'd told herself that _nothing_ could surprise her after forming a tenuous alliance with the potato incarnation of her arch-enemy... still, she couldn't help but stare at the cube incredulously. It was humming just inches away from her bare feet and was just... too hopelessly innocent to be real. Aperture Science couldn't have created something so pure... unless it was by accident, of course.

_Cara mia... _she thought, listening carefully to the song of her Cube_. I wonder what that even means. Knowing _Her _it's_ _probably just another way of saying 'Fatty'._

It made perfect sense that GLaDOS would take the music of her dear Companion and twist it into something terrible. A seemingly-beautiful-yet-completely-sarcastic song that a monolingual test subject wouldn't even understand. But why return her Cube? Why return her to the surface at all when the same turrets that began to _sing_ to her had her cornered in that elevator, completely helpless? The _only_ thing that could have made her more suspicious was a Black Forest Cake with the words 'I'm Sorry' scrawled on it with icing.

Pleasantly surprised that the cube didn't spontaneously combust (or start shooting bullets, acid, or poisonous gel) as she hoisted it onto her shoulder, Chell began walking with only one objective in mind: place as much distance between herself and Aperture as humanly possible. A part of her was _really_ hoping she'd bump into people sooner than later. Maybe even sort out that issue with her voice because - surprise! - she wasn't _always_ a dangerous, mute lunatic. And GLaDOS knew that better than anyone. After all, you don't put a test subject capable of speech in a room with turrets she could subdue with a paradox.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. Or an expert in Quantum Tunneling Mechanics . And besides: GLaDOS was both of those and more. _Unfortunately_.

For the first time in what felt like – and who knows, maybe it actually _had been _– centuries, she had no destination. No plan. No looming fear that she was inches from death. _Nothing_. Just the world of Aperture Science Innovators behind her and a big empty wheat field ahead. She knew who was in charge of the former, but had no idea what the balance of power looked like on earth.

A voice came to mind: _"If you are a non-employee who has discovered this facility amid the ruins of civilization, welcome! And remember: Testing is the future, and the future starts with you."_

She hadn't put serious though into whether or not those pre-recorded ramblings might actually be true. At the time, its warnings about not agitating groups of hunter-gatherers and avoiding unsheltered testing areas wherever a lack of shelter from space-debris _did not_ appear to be a deliberate part of the test had all seemed… well, _hysterical_. GLaDOS' infectious sense of humor was probably to blame for that.

She decided to distract herself with whatever calm memories she had. Of course, since she couldn't remember anything before being awoken by GLaDOS for the first time, she tried remembering more of the apocalyptic scenarios that had been announced to her as she blazed a path through the wheat.

_" If the Earth is currently governed by a manner of animal-king, sentient cloud, or other governing body that either refuses to or is incapable of listening to reason..."_

She broke into a smile as images of a leopard-print turret being bowed to by little black stick people filled her mind. She _really _wished they'd made an animation for the sentient cloud.

_"If the Enrichment Center is currently being bombarded with fireballs, meteorites, or other objects from space…"_

These memories and the soft lullaby played by her Cube were enough to distract her hours. It didn't occur to her that she hadn't seen a trace of humanity until after she'd crafted a sort of nest out of wheat stalks and had curled up beside her truest Companion for the night.

_No matter what, I'll protect you this time. I promise, _she silently declared, running her fingers against the cube's brilliantly pink heart. _Because we're friends. Right?_

The cube seemed to glow in response as her eyes were sleepily blinking shut. It had probably been an optical illusion. Or a sign that her brain damage hadn't cleared up entirely just yet… but that's not what kept her from falling dead asleep.

"_I'm going to kill you. And all the cake is gone."_

If it wasn't for the chemicals laced into her blood at the Relaxation Center, she wasn't sure she'd have ever gotten a wink of sleep after narrowly escaping GLaDOS' figurative and even _literal_ claws. During the naps that kept her from collapsing from exhaustion, she always found herself jolted awake by Her voice. Sometimes it was _actually_ because she was being passively threatened or lied to by the AI. But most of the time it was her own brain reliving those moments when she felt most helpless… when she honestly wondered if whatever slim chance she had at survival would leave her deeply scarred.

Staring up at the night sky, she imagined a bottomless pit and Wheatley's pleading tone as he tried to coax her into jumping. He would have been shocked at how _very_ close she came to throwing herself from the broken catwalk. In reality, what restrained her was the thought of letting down the potato she'd speared onto her portal gun.

She had decided long ago that if she was going to die, it'd be defying GLaDOS. Settling for a second-rate death at the hands of a rogue Intelligence Dampening Sphere was just... _unacceptable_. She might be the last human alive for all she knew, but the immortal AI would never forget her, even if it was just as 'that test subject with a certifiable case of stubbornness'. Neither would the moron floating through space... although it would probably be more along the lines of 'the girl with a minor case of serious brain damage'.

She had brought Aperture to its knees on several occasions. The most intelligent being in the world _feared _her, and it couldn't be for nothing. Insomnia suddenly realized _who_ it was dealing with and allowed her to fall asleep.

In the morning she would completely forget seeing her parents, an escape elevator, a designer jumpsuit, and a pony farm at the bottom of Wheatley's deadly pit in her dreams... but for now, a grin tugged at the corner of her mouth.


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One: **_The Talking Cube_**  
><strong>

"**Your Aperture Science Weighted Companion Cube will never threaten to stab you, and in fact cannot speak. If your Weighted Companion Cube does speak, please disregard its advice.**

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><p>"<em>Wake up… Chell."<em>

Every nerve, every muscle in her entire body responded all at once. Chell reached for her portal gun – panicking when she realized that it was nonexistent – before remembering a crucial piece of information: _She was free. _

Her body slowly relaxed as she settled herself back into a bed of wheat fibers and tiredly reprimanded the voices inside her head for the rude awakening. It had been almost four days since her release from Aperture, and she'd yet to find any sign of life other than birds and bugs. A thunderstorm the night before had taken care of her hydration problem, but a combination of mud had water had reduced her orange jumpsuit into a disgustingly brown one. And although surrounded by grain and plump insects, she was going to be in desperate need of _real _food very soon.

She sighed quietly, pushing those problems to the back of her mind as she rolled onto her back. The early morning sky was a strange color that reminded her of when orange globs of Propulsion Gel mixed with the robin's egg blue of Repulsion Gel…

_Oh God, _she thought worriedly. _I'm thinking about Aperture… in a positive way. That _doesn't_ involve destroying vital testing apparatus. _

She found that so repulsive, that she purposely started thinking about fire pits and death traps… of awful surprises and bad confetti. But she was painfully aware that although her body had finally made it out of Aperture, it would take time (and probably a few expensive therapists) to exorcise this particular demon from her mind.

Nuzzling her Companion Cube in a frail attempt at comfort, Chell laid her head against the earth and let her eyes drift shut. She was almost starting to feel her consciousness slip away when she heard it: not a voice this time… but rustling. _Ominous _rustling_. _

She jumped to her feet – hands fisted in the direction of the disturbance. _Daring_ the noisemaker to show itself… which it did. Much to Chell's horror.

There are moments where being mute was more of a benefit than a handicap, and _this _was definitely one of them. A person with functioning vocal chords would have screamed when this whiskered animal padded out from within the dense stalks of wheat and into the small clearing that she had created around her bed.

It was just a cat. But at the same time… definitely _not _just a cat.

The creature looked up at her endearingly with its one good eye. The other was covered by a white eye-patch that was sown into its very skin by yellow and blue wires. But what really disturbed her was the thing hovering over the area that should have been a regular eye: a red, glowing orb.

_A turret's optic._

Chell started to back away, intent on running as fast as she could away from the abomination in front of her when the back of her leg bumped into her Companion Cube. The same one she'd promised to protect. Already, that solemn oath was being tested.

She steeled herself as the Cat-turret approached her and watched as it opened its mouth to purr –

"Target acquired."

Chell came close to abandoning her Cube and running off when she heard that haunting, child-like voice. Yes, that would make her a coward. Not to mention a friend-abandoning monster. An act of betrayal of that magnitude would actually make her qualified enough to become a full-time employee at Aperture Science if she had _any _interest in that at all.

But Chell stayed her ground. Surely, this was nothing compared to – _OHMYGOD, it's coming in for the kill!_

She flinched as it pressed its head against her calf before rubbing the side of its body against her. It gazed up at her once again, flicking its tail restlessly. When Chell remained in a state absolute terror, it turned away from her boredly and disappeared into a patch of tall grass.

_Oh, thank God_… _wait a second…_

She ran after the Cat-turret the moment it dawned on her that she'd let her only shot at finding civilization (or – at _least_ – some decent food) just scamper away. A flash of calico caught the corner of her eye, and she altered her course to head straight towards it. Although she wasn't entirely sure that this was the best decision, something predatory inside of Chell reawakened when she came within a few feet of the animal. Without a second of thought, she leap towards it – ignoring the mewl of surprise that escaped the Cat-turret when she wrapped bother her hands around its torso.

"Don't shoot!" it cried, paws flailing every which way.

_And now, _she mused, staring at the struggling feline with a fair amount of empathy. _To figure out what to do with you…_

* * *

><p>Chell had the feeling she was being watched.<p>

Strangely enough, it wasn't because of the new pet she'd acquired two days ago that was currently trailing behind her on a crude leash made of tied-together grass blades and wheat stems. While its single robotic eye gave her the creeps, she was very good at ignoring GLaDOS' cameras in the testing chambers and couldn't imagine why a cat-fused-with-a-turret would bother her when she'd explored the depths of Aperture without the slightest concern that a swarm of mantis-men would eat her head off.

She knelt down, carefully placing the handle of her cat's leash beneath her Companion Cube, before crawling silently beside the path she'd just walked.

"Are you still there?" her latest companion asked, its voice causing her to shudder a bit as she moved forward. And stopped dead in her tracks.

A sound – a strange, mechanical, _bouncy _sound was coming towards her.

Lowering herself so that her chin almost touched the ground, she waited with baited breath as the sound came closer… and closer…

It was right in front of her when she had a sudden brainwave: For all she knew, GLaDOS had realized the error of Her ways and had sent a ruthless killing machine after her to finish the job. It wouldn't have surprised her in the least. In fact, it made _much _more sense than being released without so much as a day in the Room-Where-All-The-Robots-Scream-At-You. But when she actually came face-to-face with her stalker, she could tell that they were _both _taken aback.

"Paaaajoogina!" the familiar white robot buzzed as its orange optic spun with fright. Just before her release from Aperture, she remembered seeing this robot and a blue one wave to her from inside GLaDOS' chamber. It had an awful lot of personality to it for being a machine, Chell noted, as it leapt onto its feet and stumbled away from her.

The robot clutched its portal gun defensively when Chell pulled herself to stand. Calmly, she showed it her empty hands in a gesture she hoped would convey 'Hey there, buddy – I'm unarmed' because she was really in no mood to figure out what would happen when a quantum tunneling device was shot at human flesh.

"What are you doing? Capturing her was the only reason I let you leave the facility. Now, _get on with it_ before she dies of starvation," a cold, feminine voice ordered.

Chell's blood ran cold even before the robot lunged towards her. It had an easy time binding her hands and feet with the rope it carried on its back, thanks to the fact that listening to _Her _in real life once again had caused her body to go rigid. Evidently, hearing the same voice in your nightmares for years does unimaginable things to the human fight-or-flight reflex.

"Yes, that's it! Tie her up just like I taught you," GLaDOS continued, her tone both relieved and wary. They were more than a hundred miles away from the inauspicious little shed that was the gateway to Aperture Science. A seemingly useless bit of information trapped in the back of her head that told her that a person on average walks about 2 to 4 miles per hour. If she had walked for at least 12 hours every day for six days with only quick restroom and food breaks… there was _no way _she was still in range of the facility.

So how did She _find_ her?

Immediately, Chell's eyes darted to the cat sitting next to her Companion Cube, branding it as a traitor without the slightest inhibition. Who else could it have been – her Cube? _Ha. _

"Poor thing. Probably starving and delusional. That's why she's looking at one of my old testing cats so hungrily."

Her stomach plummeted when she realized that GLaDOS' remarks were coming not from the Cat-turret, but from… _dear God._

"Could your eyes get _any_ fatter?" the AI quipped, confirming that Her phonations were definitely coming from Chell's Companion Cube. "Orange, stand-by for Blue. He's bringing the Aperture Science Ground Accelerator to you right now."

_Aperture Science Grou_ – her thoughts were interrupted by a tremendous roar that was intensifying every second. In the distance, she saw what looked like a car.

"Wahoooo!" Orange pumped the air with a robotic fist as the vehicle flew right past them, skidding to a stop just as its tire tapped her Companion Cube. If her shoulder wasn't gripped in the robot's other hand, she'd have surged forward instinctively to protect her friend. It took her a moment to remember that it had _heartlessly_ betrayed her.

"Blue, I don't find your daredevil stunts to be amusing. The equipment you are operating is very, _very_ old. Minus five collaboration points."

She hadn't noticed it before, but there was a chubbier robot in the driver's seat of the vintage car. Its blue optic gazed at her curiously, not even slightly fazed that he'd lost some sort of points for his dramatic entrance. But even more eye-catching than the robot or the car itself was what was written on the license plate: CAVE

A passionate message instantly came to mind: _"Make life rue the day it gave Cave Johnson lemons! Do you know who I am? I'm the man who's gonna burn your house down!"_

This was _his _car, wasn't it? Somehow, the bright yellow Mustang was very befitting of the Man Who Refused to Take Life's Lemons.

"The portable surface is in the trunk, Blue. Take it out before one of us dies of old age."

The moment GLaDOS finished that command, Chell began to struggle desperately against her robot captor. It was a futile attempt given that her ankles were strapped together and her wrists were equally bound, but she did have one thing on her side. One thing that GLaDOS never let her forget.

She was_ heavy_.

Chell allowed her knees to buckle, and the robot holding her was dragged simultaneously to the ground with a computerized yelp. She managed to slip out of its relaxed grip and wormed her way back onto her feet.

"WATCH OUT, BLUE!" GLaDOS screeched, but the pudgy robot was busy pulling a white, rectangular object out from the car's trunk. It didn't notice a very panicked woman bounce towards the car until being knocked aside by a few swings of her tied-together fists. The object in its hands slipped into the backseat.

_Engine's still warm… _she thought with a feral grin, squirming her way behind the wheel of the antique car. She was a second away from flooring the gas pedal when she remembered that her Companion Cube was just in front of her. Deciding that it was in _both _of their best interests to part ways – but not bitter enough to simply run it over – she shifted into Reverse. _Then _she floored it.

Chell was momentarily thrown forwards against the wheel, before she managed to brake, shift back into Forward drive, and maneuver around the two frantic robots.

_Who's got sucker's luck, now?_ She glowed with pride as the car soared towards the horizon. Her situation had gone from incomprehensibly terrible to better-than-ever in a matter of minutes. If that hadn't caused psychological whiplash, nothing would.

She was so quick to relish her escape that the familiar sound of a portal opening wasn't heard above either her mental gloating or the wind. But a portal _had _opened. On the panel Blue had dropped right behind her. Those few minutes of absolute freedom were the best she had ever experienced. It's a shame, really, they were cut so short.

"Test-ruining sociopaths are _not _authorized to handle this equipment."

Chell screamed – correction: _would_ have screamed if she could produce any noise – as a metal claw appeared from the backseat, grabbing onto and pulling her thrashing body into the red portal that Orange's sharp-shooting skills had placed just in time.

For the second time in her life, Chell was dragged back into Aperture Science.

She wanted to cry as hot rays of sun were replaced by bright white lights that offered no warmth, but the emotional havoc of being back in the clutches of her mortal enemy somehow obliterated her ability to produce tears.

"If I didn't know better, I would think that you _weren't_ thrilled to see me."

A yellow glow was all she could distinguish of GLaDOS' enormous chassis. Her mind was spinning, and the contents of her stomach were threatening to erupt from her mouth. Sadly, her hearing remain unaffected for just a bit longer.

"Good thing I _do _know better. Otherwise, I'd have to kill you right now," GLaDOS continued smoothly. "But you'll be happy to learn that finding you again taught me a valuable lesson…"

And that's when Chell's consciousness mercifully ended.


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two:**_ A Gift from GLaDOS_

**"I mean, really. What is more likely: that you're being chased by a homicidal computer or that this is all just the paranoid delusion of an unstable mind?"**

* * *

><p>Chell's eyes flew open the moment that consciousness seeped into her brain.<p>

She was lying down in a dim room, her body on top of what seemed like a hospital gurney. It hadn't been long since her capture… she still felt the ache in her arm that arose shortly after she had knocked Blue aside, and the smell of the outdoors lingered in her hair. She tried to sit up, only to find that her arms and legs were strapped to the bed.

"Don't look so surprised: I know better than to let certain test subjects be of the free-roaming variety."

She inwardly groaned, although hearing GLaDOS in real life was a small change from the days and nights she spent outside of Aperture. Try as she might to escape that eerie voice, her mind had been infiltrated by it long ago. The only option she had now was to bear with the psychosis and try not to lose what was left of her sanity. _Somehow_.

"Here… why don't we have this discussion face to sweaty-human-face."

The portion of the bed from her waist up began to bend steadily forward, causing Chell's heart to race even before she saw GLaDOS on a series of monitors. They were linked together in the same formation that Wheatley used after he aerial-faith-plated her onto a platform surrounded by mashy-spike-plates. Oh, the _memories_ she created smashing those awful screens to bits... these in particular would've been easy to destroy if she wasn't strapped to the bed. About six of them were mounted in front of her, on the wall of what looked like a simple hospital room.

Somehow, the massive robot had managed to make herself look _even more _intimidating through the monitors. Chell would have been impressed if not for the distraction of mortal peril.

"Hello, and welcome to the Aperture Science Enrichment Center Rejuvenation Chamber. Did you enjoy your vacation as much as I did?" GLaDOS paused, as if waiting for a reply. Taunting a mute just _never_ got old, did it?

"No… I didn't think so. Because you were never murdered while trying to do some honest work, and don't _actually _understand the meaning of work since you always had a Portal Device do all of it for you. How's that nonexistent job going, by the way? Or did you expect to live off my good graces for the rest of your short life? _Typical._"

Rolling her eyes, Chell caught a glimpse of her body and decided to analyze what damage GLaDOS had already dealt to her fragile human form. Surprisingly – and I mean really, _really_ big surprise here – there was none. Except for a blue hospital gown, she looked and felt unscathed.

Nothing could have made her more suspicious.

"I did make _one _slight change to your mostly-adipose-tissue body…"

_Here it comes – sixty bucks says it's a brain implant._

"I restored your voice."

Chell thought that her vast exposure to Aperture's insane creations had given her the ability to predict their behavior with at least _some _accuracy. Then GLaDOS released her from Aperture.

Then _everything _stopped making sense.

Adamantly, she glared at the computer – convinced this was some kind of scheme to make her look foolish.

"Have I lied to you? I mean, in this room?" the AI chuckled afterward like she'd just shared a kind of demented inside-joke with Chell.

_If I _can_ talk, then I've got a decent shot at hitting Her with a paradox right now… _she realized, taking a few deep and steady breaths in preparation to speak.

"THIS STATEMENT IS –" she gagged as something twisted itself in the pit of her throat, robbing her of speech once again.

"Oh, did I accidentally place a kill switch on your vocal cords? It's not like I expected this from a _raving_ lunatic." She spat, glowering at Chell from the monitors. "Are you ready to play nice, you murderer? I truly _don't_ want to spend another moment trying to kill the mammalian equivalent of a cockroach, but I don't know what might happen if you keep insisting."

They glared at each other for several long seconds before GLaDOS broke optical contact to sigh.

"I didn't think so. Well, I'll give you some time to reflect on your existence. A little introspection every now and again wouldn't kill you, by the way," she said casually, and Chell noticed that it was much easier to breathe once the screen blanked out. Although the AI's presence was no longer obvious, she wasn't ignorant to that fact she was under constant surveillance. Still... it was an improvement.

Chell pressed her head against the firm pillow she'd been provided, enjoying a moment of mental peace before she noticed the monitors flicker back to life.

"Done reflecting? I realize that you don't have many meaningful life experiences beyond wrecking the lives of others, but I was hoping you'd use the extra time to come up with intelligent things to say. You know… to make our dialogue a little less one-sided without causing the inevitable suicide of my Intelligence Processor."

GLaDOS' faceplate seemed to frown. Or maybe nonexistent human company over the past years had caused Chell to imagine those robotic emotes.

"Anytime today. It's not like I have forever… oh wait. I_ do_," she snickered, mechanical body swinging lightly. "But that doesn't keep me from being impatient. So let's start over: Hello, and welcome to the Aperture Science Enrichment Center Rejuvenation Chamber."

Chell felt something click deep inside her throat. Experimentally, she whispered the word 'Apple' to herself. Being capable of talking again after _years_ without saying a word wasn't nearly as strange as she expected it to be. She added that to a very short list called 'Good Things that Happened Today.'

"Why am I here?" she interrogated her robotic captor.

"Oh, there are quite a few reasons. Let's start with the simplest one: you were interfering with the regular operation of one of my Sentry Felines," she accused, watching motionlessly as Chell moved into a slightly more comfortable position.

"So the cat I found was kind of like… a guard?" she said slowly, her mouth still getting used to the formation of words. "But why was it so far from Aperture?"

"Even if I _did _have any desire in sharing that with you, it's against protocol to discuss security measures with test subjects. Moving on to the next item: gel poisoning."

She stared at the GLaDOS' pixeled image as though the supercomputer had just declared that it was National Unicorn Day.

"Let me put it in a way that even someone with brain damage will understand," her well-pitched voice had an undertone of frustration. "Propulsion and Repulsion Gels are generally harmless unless ingested. Conversion Gel, on the other hand, can be absorbed through the skin after prolonged exposure. And I believe that the lower levels of Aperture Science are now _entirely _portable. Thanks to you."

Chell jumped as a Vital Apparatus Vent appeared right above her. Instinct told her to brace for an impending cloud of neurotoxin, and she was quick to take a gulp of air and hold it. What actually occurred was much more frightening: there was dull sound of a party blowout (she tried not to wonder _how_ she knew that) before brightly colored confetti rained down on her.

"I used the good confetti because you did such a _good_ job killing yourself."

_So I _may _have gotten carried away with excitement, _Chell mused. Surrounding herself with portable surfaces using Conversion Gel was probably the highlight of her exploits in Aperture's lower levels. After all: _wherever there's a wall, there's a way._ So by extension, _many_ walls equates to _many_ ways. Surely even GLaDOS appreciated that flawless logic.

"I felt just fine before getting dragged down here," she pointed out.

"You heard the former CEO of Aperture dying because he inhaled powdered moon debris. I analyzed my memories as a potato and encountered an interesting fact while searching my database: the real problem wasn't in his lungs. It was in his _marrow_."

Chell looked down at her hands, trying to picture the contaminated blood coursing through her system.

"I understand now… you brought me back to watch me die," she wasn't asking – it was a statement of fact. A part of her found solace in the fact that at least _this _made more sense than being serenaded into freedom by an orchestra of turrets.

"As if I'm that petty," Aperture's absolute ruler scoffed. "During this past week I made a… _discovery_, you could call it. For the sake of Science, I had to bring you back. Because you have something that I need."

"What could I possi – " her voice cut out with a painful twist in her throat. She massaged it gently, wondering if GLaDOS' realized how uncomfortable her silencing technique was.

_Better keep it a secret, just in case… _she thought cautiously.

"I don't want you here as much as you don't want to be here. _Believe_ me." GLaDOS' chassis began to turn away from her. "A medical associate will be with you shortly to discuss the terms of your stay. And by the way – " Chell had to force herself to keep a pain-free face when the AI decided to grace her with the ability to speak again. "Attempt to say another paradox and I might press a certain switch a bit _too_ roughly and a certain pair of vibrating cords might just go _snap_."

Chell wasn't sure if she was supposed to be relieved or worried after GLaDOS' disappeared from view, but she voted for the latter and began shifting in her bed restlessly. The restraints on her arms and legs weren't yielding to her movements at all, and her stunt with Cave Johnson's car most likely caused her mechanical nemesis to be exceptionally paranoid.

Speaking of which, it struck her as odd that GLaDOS wouldn't explain the 'terms of her stay' personally. But seeing as they had a profound mutual disdain of each other, prolonging their conversation would have probably caused whatever processor was keeping the AI's homicidal rage in check to fail.

_Knock knock knock._

Her head spun to face the door, eyes going wide, before remembering that a medical associate was on its way to speak to her.

"Come on in," said Chell, expecting a personality core to slide in via a conveniently placed management rail.

Footsteps caused her to perk up before something came shuffling into the room nervously, holding a metal clipboard. Her mind was slow to process that she was looking at another human… or at least something that resembled a bespectacled human man. His height made the stained white coat he was wearing appear short, and she could tell that that he had a thin figure. His black pants matched the tie that hung over his light blue shirt.

"Hi there. You some sort of android?" Chell questioned with a light smile. Though highly doubtful that GLaDOS would allow any living humans to exist outside of the testing track, she couldn't squash her sense of optimism.

While her objective had been to make her visitor less flustered, it seemed to have the opposite effect. In fact, he spun on his heel and started to bang on the door that had apparently been locked behind him.

"H-hey, calm down!" she shouted, and was glad when her words had their intended effect. "If you haven't noticed, I'm strapped down and can't hurt you. It's kinda nice to see a human face again." Her lips curled into a sincere grin. "A _living_ human. In Aperture. You and me are like dodos, friend."

"Heh heh. _Friend_. Right," he said, fidgeting with the papers on his clipboard.

Chell tilted her head curiously before asking, "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"N-no, I don't... I can't recall..." his words drifted off. There was no denying the trill of recognition that shot up her spine when he spoke, but nothing else about him – not the clean-shaven face, the improperly gelled honey-colored hair, or even the very distinct light eyes – made any connection with her scattered memories. It was as if he was familiar, but at the same time completely foreign.

Annoyed at herself for obsessing over voices again, Chell shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I don't think we've ever met."

"Oh… is that right? Brilliant!" His face seemed to brighten as he dragged a stool from a corner of the room and placed it at her bedside.

_"Ah! Brilliant. You made it through. Well done."_

Chell blinked as the quote surged through her head, and a name illuminated her mind like a neon sign. A name that made her feel more empty and betrayed than when her Companion Cube put GLaDOS on speakerphone back in the wheat field.

_Wheat. Ley._

"Are you alright, love?" questioned the man, concern etched on his pale face as balanced his rump on the stool.

She was at a loss for words. It took her a moment to regain her speech, but the dark, terrifying tone that escaped her made her question if it was even _her_ voice anymore.

"You're Wheatley," she hissed, her eyes tearing the man before her to psychological shreds as he stared back at her with the expression of a deer in the headlights. "And you tried to kill me."

"That – uh, that w-was –" he was practically sweating despite how cold the room was.

In a move that surprise both Wheatley _and _herself, Chell jerked all at once against her bonds. Although she remained tied to the bed, it caused the man to fall off of his workbench with a yowl of fear

"GLaDOS! GLADOS!" she hollered, remembering the bombs, the traps, and the _mashy-spike- plates _with extreme clarity. "JUST LET ME KILL HIM AND WE'LL BE EVEN!"

"Nonono, don't bother Her! She'll get upset at me for upsetting you!" Wheatley pleaded as he clamored back onto his feet.

"I don't owe you any favors," she practically growled, sucking in a deep breath. "GLA – ARGH!"

She was quieted by a palm that reeked of antiseptic pressing itself against her mouth.

"I'm sorry. So, _so_ sorry," he told her, and it was obvious that he was struggling to keep his voice from shaking as badly as his hand was. "I was monstrous and cruel… and you were my only friend. The only human to ever trust me."

He looked close to tears. Then he _was _in tears.

"When I was in that body… I don't know – it's like every bad thing I ever felt just exploded inside me. But I know it wasn't just the body." He lifted his free hand to dry his face, knocking his glasses onto her stomach. He didn't even notice. "I was weak and afraid and didn't even try to fight it until it was too late. Not like you – _you _never give up, do you? I couldn't stop you, She couldn't stop you… pretty sure all the neurotoxin in the world couldn't stop you."

He bit down on his lip before finally developing the courage to look her straight in the eye.

"I'm pretty sure that if I hadn't been so envious, I wouldn't have tried to kill you. And I'm sorry. Not only for – well – _everything_ that happened, but because I'm still envious. And because I'm mad enough to still hope that we can be friends. I… are you alright?"

A few stealthy tears had managed to slip from her eyes. _Sneaky little buggers._

"Of c-course," she stammered, wishing desperately that she could move her limbs. A pat on the shoulder was all Wheatley needed to stop rambling and realize that after a speech like that, how _couldn't_ she forgive him? She may have been dubbed a monster by the Queen of Aperture, but she wasn't _monstrous. _Not by a long shot.

They were both startled by the sudden sound of fabric sliding against fabric. Chell followed Wheatley's wide eyes to her freed arms and legs.

"She let you go. How… nice," he still looked apologetic, but was scared stiff at the same time. "Not going to try to… uh, _hurt_ anything, right?"

Chell couldn't help the laugh that escaped her as she plucked his glasses off her sheets and placed them on his face. Wheatley then suffered a minor cardiac arrest when she unexpectedly threw her arms around him and gave his body a quick squeeze.

"You're lucky that GLaDOS cared enough about you to keep me restrained until I heard you out," she informed him. Immediately following her statement was an electronic buzz made them both jolt upwards.

"The Enrichment Center would like to take this time to remind Intelligence Dampening Spheres that the 'observation of life functions' portion of their experiment will be immediately terminated in favor of a post-mortem pathology evaluation at the first sign of severe mental deterioration," GLaDOS said coolly over an unseen intercom. "These include hallucinations, schizophrenia, and the belief that placing the Enrichment Center's Disk Operating System into a potato is a forgivable act that will not result in an untimely demise."

Chell and Wheatley both looked around the room after GLaDOS finished her conveying that useful bit of information, as though expecting for Her chassis to appear in a corner at any minute.

"Shouldn't agitate the boss anymore today. We'd best get straight to business, Miss Chell," Wheatley announced, his old personality peeking out as he spun around once on his rotatable stool. He then brandished his clipboard – flipping through the pages before settling on one near the back.

"As a prequel to the actual business I'm supposed to discuss," he said offhandedly. "I just want to say that I think your name is bloody fantastic. _Chell. _Absolutely lovely."

She couldn't help but smile. Because yes – that _may_ have just been worth every turret bullet that grazed her skin and each Discouragement Beam that had 'discouraged' her from moving on with a test. _Bloody fantastic… _

It described her life perfectly.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Thanks for all the reviews! They gave me lots o' motivation. Not to mention that intangible quality to reviews that makes the results of fanfiction… significant. (Heh heh…channeling GLaDOS all the time is _definitely _not good for my mental health. Oh well.)

Slight update: I had confused a Vital Apparatus Vent with a Pneumatic Diversity Vent. I fixed it after scolding myself quite harshly. (GLaDOS... forgive me.)


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three: '**_Unsafe' is the Meaning of Science_

"**Science isn't about why, it's about 'why not?' You ask: 'Why is so much of our science dangerous?'. I say: Why not marry safe science if you love it so much. In fact, why not invent a special **_**safety door**_** that won't hit you in the butt on the way out, because you are fired. (Not you Test Subject, you're doing fine). You, yes you! Box. Your stuff. Door. Parking lot. Car. Goodbye."**

* * *

><p>Wheatley pushed his glasses further up on the bridge of his nose, most likely unaware of how surprisingly intelligent they made him look. It had, however, little effect on Chell. Appearances in general meant almost nothing to someone who had been trapped in an infinite loop of testing cycles for most of her life.<p>

"She asked me to read this exactly as stated, but I want to point out that these are not my words you'll be hearing. They're _Hers,_" he coughed into his sleeve, never letting his eyes wander from the clipboard balanced on one of his crossed knees. "I can't stress that enough."

"Her insults are a bit beyond the level of _adopted_ _fatty_, so I'd probably have guessed as much," said Chell, crawling towards the foot of her bed. She was mildly annoyed to find that her coordination was rather sloppy, probably because GLaDOS was no doubt taking precautions against having the same test subject leave Aperture for a third time without a proper … 'dismissal'. Probably by means of neurotoxin, but the AI was far from picky when it came to relegating death options.

After all: Science does not move forward if test subjects are allowed to just _strut _away after completing a test. That would be almost _ethical._ Preposterous. _Not _Science.

"Alright then, here we go… 'Conditions of for Extended Survival of Unloved, Unwanted, and Completely Useless Piles of Metaphorical Garbage'," he said in what started out as a very peppy tone, but soon enough he was speaking at a volume scarcely above a whisper. Even Chell was a bit floored by the heaviness of that one-liner.

No psychological buildup – no subtlety leading up to an indirect and cleverly disguised verbal assault…

So the gloves were off, at last. GLaDOS couldn't send her a clearer signal that they were through playing games, causing Chell to honestly wonder if putting her arrogant mind to the task of escaping would be enough at this point… now that her mortal enemy had the vast resources of Aperture _and_ was no longer entertained by passive assaults.

Her worried thoughts were cut short by Wheatley saying, "'Number one: You are to immediately agree to comply with intermittent surgical operations that will, with time, remove self-inflicted damage caused by your unnecessary rampages in vitrified test chambers.' Oh, there's a teeny-tiny asterisk underneath it! Hadn't even noticed before." He held the clipboard inches closer to his face. "'Yes, they will be painful… and no, you do not have a choice. Fun fact,' Ah, there's something fun in here, after all!"

"Don't get too optimistic," said Chell, rubbing her temples as the severity of her situation slowly dawned on her. She wasn't just going to be killed. She was going to be _dissected_, and then killed. _Lovely. _

"Here it goes – 'fun fact: one-hundred percent of overweight patients who refused Bone Marrow Replacement at Aperture Science died from neurotoxin.' Huh. So it seems that there is something in your bone marrow that's making you a magnet to neurotoxin. Explains a lot, I must say." Wheatley pointed out, too distracted by his papers to see Chell roll her eyes at that horrifyingly dumb conclusion.

"No, Wheatley, I think she means that she killed them all when she flooded the Enrichment Center with deadly neurotoxin," she said patiently.

"Huh. That's a rather… _unique _take on the issue. Points for creativity. Anyway, number two's fairly short," he smiled pleasantly. "'Testing will continue if the subject becomes defiant.'"

Chell quirked an eyebrow. "She doesn't expect me to test unless I defy her? There _has _to be a catch."

"That does seem odd. Unimaginable, almost," the former Intelligence Dampening Sphere and briefly disastrous ruler of Aperture agreed. If there was one thing he understood at all in the world, it was the Testing Itch. "Do you think it's a mistake?"

"GLaDOS doesn't make mistakes," said Chell, instantly hating how that phrase came across. "I mean, she doesn't make _silly_ mistakes like that. It's probably an outright fabrication, though. But let's just finish with this ridiculous contract already."

"Couldn't agree more. Numero tres," he began. "'Previously mute lunatics will be confined to the Rejuvenation Center unless given special permission. All departures from the Rejuvenation Center will be monitored and escorted.' Leaving us with just number four, which states that 'satisfactory behavior until the completion of the Bone Marrow Replacement procedure will result in release from the Aperture Science facility with only minor adjustments.'"

"Which probably means that I'll be missing a vital organ," she sighed, swinging her feet off the bed and placing them firmly on the ice cold linoleum. Sliding some weight onto her ankles, she realized that her legs were eve wobblier than her arms. _This could be a problem…_

"So, old buddy," said Chell, twirling a lock of her charcoal-colored hair as she gave Wheatley a slanted look. "Ready to help me escape again?"

He immediately leapt off of his stool and simultaneously shook his head and waved his arms wildly.

"GLa-DOS is _list-en-ing,"_ he informed through gritted teeth.

"She's smart enough to know I'm only joking. The most I expect you to do is help me walk," Chell said, raising her arms expectantly. When Wheatley continued to stare at her nervously, she insisted, "I'm not going to bite, I swear. I didn't even take a bite of GLaDOS while she was a potato, and I had been _starving._"

That must have somehow reassured him, because he began to shuffle towards her. "When you put it _that_ way, you do manage to control that homicidal rage GLaDOS always talks about pretty well." He looked uneasy when each of her bronzed, calloused hands slipped into his soft, pale ones, but that expression faded into one of concern as she tried to stand.

"You were loaded with all sorts of nasty chemicals when you arrived here, so try to take this slow. One tiny step towards me… excellent! Now, the other…"

"Why did GLaDOS bring you back, Wheatley?" Chell asked suddenly. Despite the fact that _she _was the one who needed assistance walking, it was Wheatley who almost fell over when she spoke.

"That – uh, where to begin…"

"I mean, she had plenty of Cores to play with. Why go through the trouble of fetching the one that almost destroyed her facility?"

"I – er, I suppose if She hasn't said anything yet, then it's alright if I tell you." There was dead silence in the room as Wheatley did something very unusual for an Intelligence Dampening Sphere – he _thought _before speaking. "I was of the last Cores ever made in Aperture, besides Morality. By the time they got to me, the lab boys had almost perfected the brain-to-core transfer. Most of my human mind actually made it into my robot body. Can't say the same about Curiosity, or Anger, or _bloody _Space… they only had portions of their consciousness put into a metal ball."

His eyes seem to cloud, which prompted Chell to push him further, "Why does that matter?"

"Well, GLaDOS is for some reason very interested in – " She didn't get to hear about what GLaDOS was researching, because at that moment an astonishingly familiar claw burst through the door.

"What did I say about revealing my plans, _moron_?" Chell could practically _feel_ the hatred in Her voice.

"I'M-SO-SORRY-DON'T-KILL-ME!" Wheatley pleaded as a mechanical tentacle wrapped tightly around his body and pulled him away. Unable to stand without his support, she flailed as though drunk before falling onto her side.

"_Chell!_ Don't let Her hurt me again! Please –" He reached out for her, and she a made dire effort to grab his extended hand from her position on the ground. On her hands and knees, she managed to stretch close enough to touch his fingertips before a supercilious voice made her flinch back.

"You've performed your purpose, medical associate. Please feel free to leave the Rejuvenation Center." GLaDOS said with mock professionalism, retracting the claw along with Wheatley' sobbing form. Chell's arm remained outstretched as though in a state of suspended animation before the door slammed closed once again and an eerie, hollowing silence fell all around her.

"Sorry about the drama," said GLaDOS. Chell noticed a glow out of the corner of her eye and realized that the intimidating AI was glaring down at her from the monitors. "When I told that moron the bit of information he was about to share with you, he nearly died of boredom. Think about it. What's more likely: that I told the moron some "top-secret" information or that I simply didn't want to agitate your primate brain with meaningless data points? Keep in mind that I hate you _both_ equally."

Chell shifted her limbs on the ground so that she sat cross-legged in front of GLaDOS.

"No, you're just scared." The AI flinched backwards at this accusation. Something about watching Wheatley get taken away so violently caused emotions to flood Chell's eyes that GLaDOS was only _too _familiar with. She was insanely tenacious. Hopelessly arrogant. And _angry_.

"Scared of _what_, may I ask?"

"Scared that I'll take whatever scraps of knowledge I can get and use it to escape. And you have a right to be." She tilted her chin up in challenge. "Because you make one little slip-up and I _will_ escape."

"Oh really?" GLaDOS sounded genuinely amused. "You can't even _walk _straight. I'm not exactly shaking in my monocoque."

These taunts caused the blood in Chell's veins to boil. Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she rolled herself onto her knees, deliberating whether or not her body was up for the task of proving GLaDOS wrong.

"Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding. Lay down like a good little infirm and stop trying to hurt yourself."

"You really expect me to assume the Party-Escort position? You should know better," she chided, rising shakily to her feet. Her balance was fleeting, and she toppled flat onto the ground.

"No, I completely understand your desire for self-inflicted punishment. I'm only somewhat disappointed in how you're going about it. If you're open to suggestions, I'd be happy to – ah. I'll take that as a _no_."

Chell hardly noticed the AI's monologues in between her attempts to stand. She willed her muscles to obey – to _just ignore_ whatever chemicals GLaDOS had poisoned them with, and subsequently crashed into the floor a third time. Fourth time. Enough times after that to make her sincerely wish that her hospital gown offered a little more padding – especially in the region of her behind.

"No one likes a quitter, but I'll remind you that I'm the only one judging you right now. And that my opinion of you can't get any lower. So _why_ are you doing this?" There was a hint of desperation in GLaDOS' tone.

"Because the moment I stop trying, I'll die," she said simply, grinning in a half-crazed manner despite the bruises forming on top of her bruises. Again, she pressed her palms against the floor and demanded that her legs cooperate.

"Watching you fail over and over again without dying is, quite frankly, _very _upsetting," GLaDOS sighed, anticipating the dull sound of Her test subject striking the floor again. Any moment now. _Eventually…_

But it never came.

"Scared yet, GLaDOS?" Chell flipped her hair behind a shoulder, meeting GLaDOS' malicious yellow optic with her steel gray eyes as her back straightened out. She was obviously baiting the supercomputer in the hopes that the poor control PotaTOS had wielded over Her emotions would hold true now that GLaDOS was back in that omnipotent body. Best case scenario: it would shift the playing field to her advantage. Worst case: she'd become the new target dummy in the Turret Manufacturing sector. But even the bad scenario was better than her current state, so when the robot remained impassive, Chell decided to up the stakes.

"Of course you are. Because you know that every time you've fought me head-on, you've lost. All the resources in Aperture and you can't get between me with a portal gun and my objective." She was shocked that the AI hadn't silenced her yet. Ignoring her better judgment, Chell went for broke: "Not to bring up the past, but wouldn't you have just died of embarrassment if I _hadn't_ killed you?"

A rumble coming from the roof showed that her words were having an effect on GLaDOS, after all. Whether or not she was going to survive the outcome was an entirely_ different _story_, _but Chell was optimistic. Especially when a panel slid away and a pair of long-fall boots and a test subject uniform were deposited inches away from where she stood.

"Congratulations on your victory over the sedation drugs meant to postpone the symptoms of your terminal insanity. I administered enough of it to placate an elephant, but I'm guessing that elephants have less of an interest in wreaking havoc wherever they go. Anyway, let me be very clear with you… Chell," GLaDOS told her in a low voice, the panels in Her chamber rising and falling in some sort of frenzy. "I am going to make you _wish _you had died in testing. And I'm going to do it _empirically._"

The monitors blanked out, and Chell finally felt comfortable enough to change into the clothes a vengeful computer had charitably bestowed. Throwing off her gown, she slipped into a pale blue leotard before pulling on a typical Aperture tank top, though not without a sigh of relief that at some point in her short, sad life someone had seen it fit to perform a comprehensive laser-hair removal. She tried to hold onto that positive realization because – let's face it – when trapped in a cold, dark place by a homicidal computer, you have to learn to appreciate the little things.

She hesitated when it came time to pull on the jumper, and a brief reflection led her to the conclusion that her mind associated testing most heavily with that orange monstrosity. In the end, she had to grit her teeth and go through with it anyway. After all, a bit of psychological trauma was better than flying through the air pants-less in front of GLaDOS. And _heaven forbid _Wheatley should turn up…

Once the long-fall boots were on, Chell felt an undeniable shiver of anticipation crawl up her spine. All she needed now was –

"You'll have to enter the testing track in order to obtain a Dual Portal Device," GLaDOS said quickly, reassuring Chell that she wasn't the _only _one getting anxious. "Activating portal to testing track in three… two… one."

An oval of crystal blue light appeared on the wall to her left, and the image of a familiar test chamber filled the area inside of it. Her heart leapt into her throat when she realized just _how _familiar it was.

"This looks like –" A painful, silencing twist in her throat was GLaDOS' polite way of saying 'I think you've said enough, thank you.'

"Yes, this is where I first gave you a portal device. I'm glad that your memories of the Pre-Murder Era remain intact," said GLaDOS scathingly as she stepped through the portal. "Unfortunately, some parts of _my_ memory were incinerated after that tantrum you threw over the fire-pit misunderstanding. I mean really – who takes being nearly roasted alive _that_ personally?"

Amid GLaDOS' incessant barbs, Chell felt as though she was walking into a dream. In truth, she could barely remember anything before she and GLaDOS became bitter adversaries. But entering that unchanged white room – with its high walls and four arrows surrounding the portal gun held aloft in its center by a rod… it was almost _surreal_. She'd been fighting for survival for so long that it was bizarre to think that she had a counterpart in the past that didn't spend every waking hour fearful of a psychotic computer's wrath.

Shuddering with anticipation, Chell pried her weapon off of its stand. She allowed herself a moment of emotional release, and found herself channeling Wheatley in her thoughts –

_Oh man, alive…_

"Excellent. The portal behind you has been modified. Once you're through, _we'll begin_." Maybe it was just brain damage, but Chell could have _sworn _that GLaDOS's tone had a sultry undercurrent to it. And that did more to make her uncomfortable than any death threat so far.

However, she was more than willing stride out of the room that was filled with depressing nostalgia. Expecting to see yet another test chamber, her eyebrows rose in silent surprise at what laid beyond the orange portal.

"I've kept myself busy in your absence restoring _all _of Aperture to its former glory. Adding some improvements along the way, of course," she said proudly. And for once, Chell actually recognized that in addition to being a formidable opponent, GLaDOS was also a menacing interior designer. "I never expected that a certain _someone_ would rear her ugly head again. Otherwise, I'd have invested more time into developing lunatic-proof testing chambers."

The portal behind her disappeared, leaving her standing on a balcony overlooking a refurbished 1960's version of Aperture. The dark brown lake that had once held a half-sunken metallic globe was now free of garbage. Zigzagging through the air were Pneumatic Diversity Vents and Gel tubes that extended from a giant sphere being carried on the back of a robot statue… that reminded her an awful lot of the blue-eyed one that played a part in her recapture for some strange reason.

"You want an objective? Try reaching the escape elevator at the center of the globe," GLaDOS instructed.

It seemed too easy: her balcony had a titled, portal-conducting panel that seemed to have a trajectory leading straight towards her goal. About twenty stories below where she stood was another portable platform. Unless this was a remedial lesson in the conservation of momentum through portals, Chell was being set up for something. There was a microscopic chance it involved celebratory cake, but her common sense told her that it was probably a poorly-laid trap. A lethal one too.

_Only one way to find out, _she thought, biting her lip before leaping from the platform.

She had already set up a blue portal on the tilted panel, and shot another onto the white platform that was rapidly approaching her. The moment she sped through the orange portal, she was shot out of the blue one at the same initial velocity. Everything was going spectacularly – she could even see a tiny catwalk within the globe on which she could land – when her entire body soared straight into a wall of solid blue light. She managed to block the worst of the collision with her shoulder, but couldn't do anything to save her precious momentum.

"Oh. What's that Hard-Light Bridge doing there? Don't look at me – I didn't have anything to do with it."

Chell silently cursed at GLaDOS as she started freefalling through the air until her Long-Fall Boots made contact with a pipe carrying Repulsion Gel, causing a deep, jagged crack to appear on the glass. Chell gazed at it for a moment before displaying that all-knowing grin that GLaDOS only _wished_ She could erase from Aperture's video archives.

"Before you – oh." She watched as Chell stomped on the pipe's weak point until it shattered, spreading blue goop all over the test subject and nearby portions of the tube. "Fine then. Go ahead then and keep destroying this facility. Again. And that was _not_ reverse psychology, by the way. "

Chell slicked back her hair with the Gel, long past fearing the adverse effects of swimming in an element that disliked the human skeleton, and jumped onto the painted portions of the tube.

"There she goes," GLaDOS said in a detached tone. "Soaring through the air as majestically as a penguin on hallucinogenic substances."

She managed to hook her arms around a Diversity Vent and pushed her portal gun on top of it so that she could use both her hands to pull herself up. With a disappointed sigh, she realized that the tube she was on – though not as much the one she'd leapt from – sloped upwards to reach the globe at an angle that was too steep for her climb. Chell's mind frantically went to work trying to identify how she could propel herself upward, but without portable surfaces or something capable of breaking the Propulsion Gel tube above her things looked _pretty _bleak…

And then she saw it. _Salvation_.

She jogged down her tube until she reached the battered remains of an old Aperture Science Storage Cube. Its edges were charred, and one even looked like it had been gnawed on by a rat that eventually died of asbestos poisoning, but it was the most welcoming thing Chell had seen in a _long _time.

"In my experience, associating with garbage may in fact get you killed. Naturally, that won't stop you, but what deranged scheme are you concocting now?" There was a convincing sense of puzzlement in GLaDOS' voice, although Chell was confident that the AI had already figured out her plan. Probably the only reason She wasn't interfering was because it wasn't her… _best _idea.

She ran down the tube in the direction of the balcony where she had started, her Cube and portal gun in hand. While her actual starting place was much further up, an orange portal still glowed on the platform below. She dropped the Cube down into it along with her quiet prayers.

Her eyes followed the Cube as it shot through the blue portal still on the balcony's tilted panel. It struck the Light Bridge and dropped down into the Repulsion Gel still gushing from a tube.

_This is the moment of truth…_ she thought, touching her knuckles to her lips worriedly as the Cube bounced against the side of her tube before ricocheting off another Diversity Vent further ahead, only to be fired back at the tube of Propulsion Gel above her.

If GLaDOS hadn't deactivated her vocal cords, she'd have screamed with joy at seeing a portion of her tube up get covered in the orange gel. It was close enough to where the tube curved upward to make the rest of her plan only _slightly_ suicidal. Excitedly, she dropped her portal gun where she stood and began to sprint towards the painted surface of her tube. When her feet made contact with the Gel, she was accelerated fast enough to keep her feet planted on the tube even as it sloped upward. She latched onto the metal wired of the globe the moment they came within her reach and swung herself onto the catwalk.

"Congratulations," GLaDOS crooned just before killing the lights. Surrounded by absolute darkness, Chell didn't even try to move. "And now I have a _surprise_ for you…"

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: I've actually written what happens to Chell now that GLaDOS has the upper-hand, but it's a bit... fitting of a homicidal computer. So instead ending on that note, I leave you with a cliffhanger :D

As always, reviews are greatly appreciated. And to those of you that have been following this story, thank you for your support.

*cues Vital Apparatus Vent to release confetti*


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four: **_Revelations_

**"Remember when the platform was sliding into the fire pit and I said 'Goodbye' and you were like '_No way_' and then I was all 'We pretended we were going to murder you?' That was _great_."**

* * *

><p>Chell couldn't imagine a <em>worst<em> situation than being surrounded by darkness, waiting for GLaDOS' most likely fatal surprise, and without a defense in the world.

She huddled against the railing of the catwalk as a sense of dread crept over her entire body. Still panting from exertion, she felt her muscles stiffen from lactic acid buildup as she lowered herself to the ground. Some adrenal vapors would be really nice about now, but she doubted that she'd ever enjoy such luxuries again. This was definitely the last time she'd fall into a very obvious trap and survive.

_Finally… _she'd reached the end of a very long, drawn-out line.

At least whatever GLaDOS had in store for her would probably be fast-acting. However, knowing _Her_, as much pain as possible would be squeezed into those few seconds. Maybe even a few fat jokes if the AI was feeling unusually cruel today…

A cold, ambivalent voice sent her mind reeling. "Initiating surprise in 3... 2... 1."

Despite the countdown – not to mention all her efforts to brace for impending doom – Chell nearly jumped out of her skin when a gigantic screen dropped down from the roof of the metallic globe. A blur of images appeared within it, giving her the impression that GLaDOS was fast-forwarding through a sort of grainy film.

"As part of an Aperture Science cognitive test protocol, you will be given information and prompted to respond to questions such as 'do you recognize this immeasurably moronic face?'" the supercomputer asked haughtily before pausing the flow of images. A picture of a man illuminated the entire globe, and Chell gasped both in recognition and because a gut-wrenching twist in her throat had restored her ability to speak.

"It's… W-Wheatley," she answered raspily.

"Very good. As you and I both know, Aperture made testing mandatory for all employees. In waltzes _this_ blithering idiot – " The images on the wall of light began to move, and she could see Wheatley hobbling in to the lobby of Aperture in bedraggled clothing. "Abandoned by his wealthy family after twenty-seven years of trying to educate him. He was alone. Unloved. Frightfully unintelligent… in other words: _perfect_."

Chell was starting to pull herself back onto her shaky feet when the monitor suddenly blanked out, startling her enough so that she stumbled back to the floor.

"After being put back into my body, I realized that his voice was more familiar than my potato form could ever process without overloading. Oh yes… so_. Horribly_. Familiar_," _she practically growled as the screen flickered back to life.

"I recently lost many test subjects in an effort to retrieve all video archives from the lower levels of Aperture, but it was worth it. Because now I know _why_ I hate that moron with all of my soul. And because you wouldn't have had the gall to call me scared if you had any idea of the horrors I've seen," she said in what Chell _truly_ hoped she was only imagining as hurt tone.

And since when did GLaDOS acquire more test subjects? Chell silently prayed that She hadn't condemned more humans to a grisly death… although the concept of cats or raccoons retrieving videos from Aperture's lower levels stretched the limits of her imagination.

"I didn't mean – " But GLaDOS never got to hear what Chell had to say because the dangerous lunatic fell silent when the screen began to play what looked a security tape.

"_You knew this was going to happen, Caroline, don't try to fight it," a pale man tried to soothe, but the woman he was addressing didn't seem remotely convinced. She continued to beat her fists against the thick walls of her glass tube, a red shawl slipping from her shoulders and onto the tangle of black wires beneath her feet. _

"_W-we couldn't anesthetize her? This doesn't seem… well, humane_._"_

Oh God. That was Wheatley.

"_The anesthesia would interfere with the Core Transfer. I thought I told you that."_

"_There has got to be some bloody way to – "_

"_Listen, up, kid: they may have put you in charge of the hospital and let you play doctor on a bunch of people about to die anyway, but I'm still in charge of getting the real Science done around here." He shoved Wheatley towards a prominent metal switch on the wall. "She'll get over it… eventually. Now start the transfer."_

"_Why m-me!" he protested, cowering slightly when the man gave him a withering look. _

"_Protocol," another man with a deeper voice said exasperatedly. "The Rejuvenation Center's chief physician is supposed to begin each transfer. You're its _only _physician, so there you go."_

"_You didn't have a problem with others," a female scientist put in, crossing her arms. _

"_The others weren't awake!" said Wheatley with more terror than resolve. The other people in the room began to crowd around him, no doubt employing a peer pressure tactic. It wasn't hard to see that it was working very well._

"_Caroline's going to be placed into the central AI unit. It'll require more of her brain to be active than with a simple core," retorted the pale man, giving Wheatley another light shove. "Get on with it, man."_

_Gulping, Wheatley extended an arm towards the switch, flinching back when someone shrieked, "Don't do it!"_

"_Quiet, Caroline!" barked the low-voiced scientist, striking her tube with his hand. The woman instinctively jerked away. "Do it NOW, Wheatley!" _

_Twitching uncontrollably now, Wheatley gripped the switch in his hand and threw it down. _

"_No…" whispered Caroline, her eyes going wide as the wires surrounded her began to uncoil. "No! Nooo – AAAAGH!" Her face contorted in agony when one of the wires thrust its metal point into the small of her back. She screamed as another anchored itself onto her sternum, the back of her neck… and then, finally, her head. _

_The woman's eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she fell to the ground with a lifeless 'thud'._

"_If she's still breathing, Wheatley, stick the body in a Stasis Chamber. If not… well, more work for the Incinerator." The lady scientist shrugged, making a bee-line towards the door and completely ignoring Wheatley's queasy expression. "Let's start uploading before her data points get cold…"_

The screen went blank. And Chell had to remind herself to breathe.

"You're Caro – " Both of her hands went to her throat as GLaDOS silenced her in a particularly painful way.

"I am _not_ Caroline, you fat idiot," GLaDOS seethed. "Her entire existence is nothing more than a contamination issue within my coding. Her emotions are… _distracting_, to say the least, but still distinct from my own. Here – " she said darkly as a noxious gas started to get pumped into the globe. "Let me demonstrate that with a bit of neurotoxin."

Chell quickly put an arm up to her nose and began to sprint down the catwalk in a panic. If she jumped off, she'd land in a lake of acid. If she stayed put, neurotoxin would get the better of her very quickly. And even if she hadn't forgotten her portal gun, it looked like there was no way to quantum tunnel herself away of GLaDOS' deadly tantrum.

"I realize that you're a bit preoccupied with dying, but do you have anything to say to me?" the AI questioned, returning Chell's vocal cords to their regular, non-mute state.

"I'm _sorry. _You're not Caroline," she said in a hurry.

"Anything else? The neurotoxin generator didn't quite hear you."

_Leave it to me to upset the only robot in the world with a temper…_ Chell thought with exasperation.

"I'm sorry I killed you, GLaDOS. I was… _scared_. More scared than you'll ever be of anything." She said, heart racing as neurotoxin continued to pour from vents hidden in the metal crevices of the globe. The computer was silent for what felt like a century to her deteriorating consciousness.

"You're scared of me?" she said finally.

"Yes! Very scared. Especially _right_ now." Chell just about lost hope as dizziness began to overtake her senses. GLaDOS chose that moment to lower a platform right behind her.

"Maybe you're not as brain-damaged as I thought," the AI duly noted as she staggered onto the platform.

Chell balanced herself by grabbing onto one of the four chains connected to each corner of the platform as it began to move rapidly away from the cloud of neurotoxin. She peered over the edge, sticking her tongue out at the shrinking globe, and nearly slipped on a puddle of oil in the process.

"There you go again. Trying your best to prove me wrong even while I'm attempting to be _nice._" Some panels in the roof moved out of the way as she went speeding into the dull gray room. "I'm not sure how long my Better Judgment can remain offline, so I suggest you waddle on over to that elevator as fast as you can."

Oddly enough, Chell's brush with neurotoxin actually caused her to move towards a nearby lift in a way that could have been classified as 'penguin-like.' She wouldn't go so far as to call it a _waddle_, but GLaDOS was always keen to exaggerate.

"Where are you taking me?" she dared to ask as the elevator doors swished closed. Not having a portal gun at her side gave her an almost… _naked_ feeling. Her right hand even felt colder than usual, and she found herself unconsciously holding her forearm as if she was still carrying her trusted weapon.

"Oh, you know. To that place where I've tried to murder you countless times. And before you say, 'But that's _everywhere_,' think about the only place where I have personally tried to kill you."

_Oh God. _She was being taken to the Central AI Chamber. And, for the first time in her life, she didn't have a portal gun. This was definitely a sign that her reign as the President of the Being Alive Club was drawing to close…

The elevator doors opened, and she could see GLaDOS waiting for her at the center of a massive, octagonal chamber.

"H-hello," she greeted, waving awkwardly as she disembarked the lift.

"Hello," GLaDOS replied coolly. "By all means, venture closer. I _insist_."

Chell stifled a scream as a mechanical claw pinched onto the scruff of her shirt and half-dragged her in front of the gigantic chassis that belonged to Aperture's disk operating system.

"So tell me, Chell… did you like your surprise?"

"Oh yes. Best one ever," she laughed nervously, not quite comfortable with being on a first-name basis with her robotic anathema.

"Remember when I started releasing neurotoxin and you were all like '_I'm sorry'_ and I was like '_Okay, fine, but don't let it happen again_?' That was fun."

She didn't recall GLaDOS ever saying that anything was _okay_ between them, but it looked like She had gotten her homicidal rage under control. For now.

"Does Caroline have something to do with why you brought me back?"

GLaDOS' suspended 'body' moved closer to Chell, Her usually malevolent optic brimming with what looked like frustration.

"I couldn't delete _all _of her," the AI confessed. "And the moment I discovered that you'd develop gel poisoning, an emotion kept flaring in the back of my mind. I tried to ignore it, but it went on and _on _worse than any Core I'd ever experienced in my life." She swiveled around to face the back wall before asking, "Do you know what it's like to hear voices all your life? Do you have any _idea_ how it feels to think that you were finally free of them, only to find out that there's a hysterical woman trapped inside your brain?"

Chell tried not to remember how voices plagued her mind too and instead scratched her chin thoughtfully. "There's no way of getting her out? I mean, can't you just reverse whatever process got her in?"

"It's more complicated simply than pressing an 'UNDO' button. But I've come up with something _pretty good_…" GLaDOS spun back around. The yellow optic in the center of her large head looking more menacing than ever. "I don't think I should tell you though. You might have another… episode."

"Don't be ridiculous – I _apologized_. What more do you want?" she huffed, placing her both hands on her hips.

"Well, I wouldn't mind if you wandered back onto the testing track, but even you aren't _that_ brain-damaged." GLaDOS sighed. "Anyway, you should really be back in your room. I suggest that you take a break from mayhem for a little while because I'll be operating on your bone marrow in the morning."

She heard the 'whoosh' of elevator doors opening, but was hesitant to leave with only a partial explanation for GLaDOS' strange behavior.

"Why the rush to perform surgery? I'm not even showing symptoms," she pointed out. In reality, Chell could understand why it was better to intercept gel poisoning before she was coughing out a lung on the Enrichment Center floor or sprouting a second head. But the very idea of having GLaDOS hovering over her knocked-out body with a scalpel was downright _horrifying_.

"Because this medical experiment was meant to be _your _present, and I've had to wait weeks for an opening to show up on your busy schedule," she said icily. "Yet judging by your continued presence in my chamber, perhaps you would like to start right now?"

"No thanks!" Chell yelped, easily dodging a claw now that her senses were saturated in adrenal vapors. She ran towards elevator, glancing over her shoulder constantly in case the AI still wanted to change the itinerary.

"Rest well," GLaDOS said sweetly as she boarded the lift. "Because after tomorrow, I highly doubt you'll be able to relax through the _unending _pain."

* * *

><p><strong>AN**:

It took a while to finish this chapter due to conflicted emotions regarding GLaDOS' personality. In truth, my intention had been for GLaDOS to be much darker than I portrayed her, but regular chats with my Steam buddies and the extremely knowledgeable Faux Promises caused me to change the general vibe you get from Her.

To Personality Core fans: how would you feel if I included a character or two based off of Cores? Yes/No/Maybe? And I hope you like the idea of Doctah Wheatley… my reasoning was 'where in Aperture could a moron do the least damage?' And my guess was that most test subjects who ended up in the hospital were past the point of no return. Also, the company could pin more blame on an incompetent doctor in order to distract from the lethal testing environments.

Thanks for reading! Reviews are loved.


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five: **_The Life Debt_

**"Just thinking back to the old times – the old days when we were friends, good old friends. **_**Not**_** enemies. And I would say something like 'come back'! And you'd be like 'yep! no problem' and you'd come back! What happened to those days? Do you remember when we were friends?"**

* * *

><p>Chell couldn't remember the last time she stood in an elevator shaft <em>not<em> headed towards more testing, and her attempts at recalling this bit of information caused her stomach to tense as she relived those moments. She tried not to let her mind grapple with how confusing GLaDOS' behavior was… focusing on how she could avoid ending up on the surgery table tomorrow was a _much_ better use of her time. Even if it was absolutely hopeless.

It was obvious that GLaDOS needed her for something. She couldn't put a finger on exactly what that was, but it was the main reason that Chell didn't just resign herself to fate at this point. Besides, she wasn't the type to let bleak circumstances deter her from pressing forward. Her tenacity was legendary, after all… but what she saw curled up on a bed in the Rejuvenation Center tested the limits of that trait.

"Wheatley!" He had his back turned, but she could see that he was clearly trembling through glass panels as the lift descended. Before the doors had even parted completely, Chell was already by his side. "Wheatley! What did She do to you?"

The blonde man mumbled something incoherent.

"Don't worry – it's just me," she comforted, placing a hand on his shoulder. His body seemed intact: no visible cuts or blood blossoms on his clothes. But there was no denying how visibly _disturbed_ he was.

"Sh-she k-killed him," he stammered through hoarse intakes of breath. "Tried t-to put him into a human body from his core. I watched him… die. Terribly. _Painfully_. It was the most frightening thing I've ever seen."

He rolled sideways so that he was lying on his back, tear-stained face turned towards Chell. "And believe me, love, I've seen some awful things. The way humans were treated around here… well, it made the whole 'this is the part where I kill you' much, _much _easier to implement. Although you probably noticed that I did hesitate in setting off the trap when you landed on that platform. Not that I'm trying to, you know, endear myself to you by saying 'I tried to not kill you while trying to kill you'. That would be –"

"Don't worry about that. Who did she kill, Wheatley?" she asked impatiently. While her main objective had been to comfort him, Chell couldn't help but have her curiosity piqued by his ramblings.

"Ol' Craig Matthews from Engineering. Good fellow, though not exactly modest. Had a flawed perception of reality too, and no shame in getting his facts wrong. I knew his voice the moment you strapped him onto me… too bad I didn't have much of a chance to speak with him before getting sucked up into space," he said despondently, staring up at the ceiling.

_Well, this is an interesting development. _Chell thought to herself. It sounded like the Pink-eyed core that she'd attached to Wheatley shortly before transferring GLaDOS back into Her rightful body was in android heaven right now. But what didn't make sense was why GLaDOS made the effort to transfer him in the first place. Was She really _that_ desperate to test?

"I thought you said that you were one of the only Cores with enough of your human brain digitized to actually survive something like that," she pointed out, resting her knee on the side of his bed.

"Well, yes, but She told me that I can't donate my bone marrow to you. Not compatible," Wheatley explained, sitting up against the headboard. "His _was_, on the other hand. But marrow is useless after so many years in stasis if you don't stir it up a bit. So I guess that the chance of the transfer working was enough so that She was willing to try anyway. I dunno _what_ She's going to do with you now…"

Chell's emotions didn't exactly know how to react to this bit of news. On one hand, she was incredibly suspicious of the notion that GLaDOS was actually expending time and effort into an operation that was _supposedly _just going to cure her of some nasty gel poisoning. On the other, she felt rather guilty for being the reason behind the tragic death of a Core who'd done nothing but shower her with inaccurate facts. But overshadowing all those sentiments was a profound sense of relief.

"I guess no operation in the morning," Chell purred, stretching her arms up happily.

"Fact," the chill voice of Aperture's Disk Operating System piped in, causing her cheery smile to melt. "You _will_ be operated on in the morning. Unlike a certain former-machine, I'm capable of solving problems without blowing the entire place up."

The monitors in the Rejuvenation Center didn't flicker to life, and Chell immediately started to miss being able to see the monster – _excuse me: _machine_ – _that was speaking to her. Just hearing a disembodied voice reminded her too much of when she was being insulted on the testing track or continuously threatened while searching the back-alleys of Aperture for an escape route.

"That was insensitive, even for you," said Chell, patting Wheatley on the shoulder after dramatic use of the word 'Fact' had caused him to bury his head beneath a pillow.

"Fact," GLaDOS went on, causing a squeak of displeasure to emanate from the cushion covering Wheatley's face. "The titanium and copper alloys that were used to create me are indeed less sensitive than your marshmallow skin. It's nice to know you don't need to be reminded of that."

Sighing deeply, she walked towards an empty bed next to Wheatley's and threw herself on top of it. "You wanted me to rest? Well, here you go: resting. Now stop bothering us."

"Oh, that's sad: lumping yourself into the same pronoun as an Intelligence Dampening Sphere..." Chell could just imagine GLaDOS shaking her head as she said that. "Your sense of loyalty is remarkably human. I'll bet that the moment I stopped being a potato, you switched over to Team _Moron_ over there. I suppose you can't help your malicious and depraved nature, after all. Anyway, enjoy this little film I picked out to help you… _relax_."

"Oh no." Wheatley verbalized her thoughts as the monitors in front of them came to life. "Chell, can you come over here and cover my ears while I close my eyes? I really, _really_ don't think I can handle whatever she's going to show us – "

"_BWAHAHAHA!"_ A familiar, evil laughter resonated throughout the hospital room. She didn't have to look at the screens to know whose it was.

"LALALALALA! Really, sweetheart, I'd appreciate some help right about now. LALALALALA!" Unfortunately, Wheatley's attempts to mask the dialogue being produced from the monitors didn't stop Chell from watching a gut-wrenching scene play out in front of her:

"_I AM NOT A MORON!"_ Wheatley's on-screen proclamation caused the one sitting with her in the room to fall silent. _"Well, how about now? Now who's a moron? Could a moron punch. You. Into. This. Pit? Could a moron do that?"_

"Um, Wheatley?"

He turned slowly towards her, eyes still transfixed on the screen.

"If watching this causes me to physically hurt you by the end of the night – " She glanced towards him just as he pulled his attention away from the screen to look at her. "I'm really sorry."

"Ah… well, no worries, love," he assured her, removing his glasses and placing them on a small cabinet beside his bed. "I completely understand. Wasn't a very good friend, was I? For what it's worth though… I like to imagine that the real me was always on your team. Cheering you on. Hoping that I could never be smart enough to kill you."

"But the point is that you _did _try to kill me," said Chell, her expression becoming harsh. "And while I don't think something like this will actually get to me, I can never really tell. This whole facility has a way of just creeping into your head and bringing out the worst of a person or machine. You and I both know that."

"_Fatty. Adopted Fatty. Fatty-fatty no-parents…" _the sound from the monitors became increasingly faint as they focused on each other.

"Hey, uh, Chell," Wheatley said quietly, allowing his arm to drip off the side of the bed. "This may be an outright brain-damaged thing to say – not that being brain damaged makes _any _difference at all, of course – but it's nice having you here for company. Even back when this place used to be buzzing with scientists and businessmen there always seemed to be a lack of _humans_. Actually, now that I say it aloud, it sounds rather silly, doesn't it? Completely mental… forget I said… anything." He almost didn't notice a soft, slight pressure as the back of Chell's hand drifted against his. It hovered there for a moment until a strange phenomenon he couldn't quite label caused him to entwine his fingers with hers.

"Let's just say we're _both_ mental," suggested Chell, allowing her eyes to flutter closed. Wheatley contemplated this for a minute, and seemed on the verge of responding before he realized that his companion had fallen asleep.

Catching her in such a vulnerable state was absolutely disconcerting, to say the least. It's not like GLaDOS took breaks from evoking misery in the name of Science. Did she really expect _him_ to protect _her_? That ludicrous thought caused a surge of energy to reawaken his tired senses.

"_There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold_," he started to hum to himself as the artificial night grew old. "_And she's buying the stairway to heaven…"_

* * *

><p>While Chell did not have much knowledge of what it was like to awaken from a non-cryogenic sleep, she had the uncanny feeling that something wasn't right. For one, her surroundings were flashing past her in a blur. And secondly, it felt like she was <em>moving<em>… alarmingly fast.

"Wh-What's going on?" she gurgled, rubbing her eyes frantically.

"Well, many things are going on," intoned Wheatley. "I'm carrying you on my shoulder, an absolutely _livid_ AI is chasing after us, and we are trying to escape – once again – from Her clutches."

_This had to be some kind of nightmare_, she concluded, yet a resounding crash and boom just behind them caused her to reevaluate her mental state.

"Why are we trying to escape Wheatley?" She tried to keep her voice level, but there was an undercurrent of terror that even a moron could pick up on.

"I've been keeping some things a secret from you, Chell," he said loudly over the cacophony of noise in the background and the sharp protests of rickety metal as his feet crashed against the catwalk. "But now I'm just going to lay all the cards on the board: I tried to take your life at one point, and now I'm trying to save it. Not so that we'll be even, but because I just couldn't stand the thought of watching you die like I watched Craig. Not gonna happen, mate. Sorry."

"This isn't going to help, Wheatley!" she yelled, flailing weakly until he finally put her down.

"Just _trust _me. And make sure you keep running," he told her brusquely. She grudgingly obliged.

"Listen, I don't want a psychotic killer performing surgery on me either, but did it ever occur to you that She might _actually_ just want to get rid of my gel poisoning?" They sprinted off the catwalk and into a dimly lit room. The rusted metal on the walls informed her that they were deep in the underbelly of Aperture, probably not far from the path she took on her first coup d'état against the machine that tried to roast her in a pit of fire. If she hadn't been both scared and furious, she might have found it eerie.

"The whole operation's a lie. A hoax. A _ruse_," he said, searching the walls in a panic as crashes continued to be heard outside their chamber. "She's using it to get Ms. Caroline to come out from where she's been hiding in Her processors. Since She can't delete her, She's going to try transferring her mind back into a human body. After that, she'll probably kill you _both_."

Chell was utterly speechless. Not that this was strange for a formerly mute test subject, but the realization that she hadn't been spared from a cloud of neurotoxin out of the kindness of GLaDOS' simulated heart actually _stung_.

"Here we go!" Wheatley's hand finally bumped into a switch. He briskly turned it upwards, causing a door to slide open in front of them. "When She first brought me back to Aperture, I remember being in a room close to the Rejuvenation Center that could open itself to the outside world. After hacking the hospital door, I bumped into a few of the non-crap turrets. So I tried out that riddle you two were keen to use on me back when… anyway, I just said 'This statement is false!' and they _exploded_ on the spot. Boy, did She get _angry_, but it was smooth sailing after that."

A tremor caused them both to stumble against the walls of the corridor. Chell took that opportunity to give him her most withering glare.

"Alright, fine – _almost_ smooth sailing. You can't let a few manatees ruin your sea cruise, now can you?"

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the grin that crossed her face.

"You realize that if this works, I think even GLaDOS wouldn't use the 'moron' line on you anymore," said Chell, her footfalls synchronizing with Wheatley's.

"You really think so?" Despite the chaos all around them, the blond man sounded overjoyed at this prospect.

"Oh, definitely," she chuckled, quickly punching her fist into the air. "_Go team_!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Personally, the whole reason I started this story was to get into the plot-point that will be elaborated in the next few chapters. I'm quite excited to see how that'll go down.

And as a side note to those who mentioned wanting to see Core people: there will be others in future chapters. _Livelier_ ones. (Heh heh…)


	7. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six: **_A Change in Perspective_

"**You've been wrong about every single thing you've ever done, including this thing. You're not smart. You're not a scientist. You're not a doctor. You're not even a full-time employee. Where did your life go so wrong?"**

* * *

><p>"Over here! It's just down this hallway!" Wheatley's voice reverberated in that narrow space of Aperture's underground as he grabbed Chell's shoulder, altering her trajectory a full ninety degrees so that they were now sprinting for dear life in a darker, more ominous passage.<p>

She wasn't naturally scared of poorly lit areas… in fact she'd been conditioned during her time on the testing track to associate arctic white panels and the blinding brightness of artificial day with box-and-button torture. Shadowed rooms and rusted walls typically meant that she was at least partially free of GLaDOS and Her maniacal testing obsession. But this _particular _darkness frightened her. And she didn't have a clue as to why.

"I've got a bad feeling about this place," said Chell nervously. Unbidden, her hand reached out and grabbed the scruff of Wheatley's shirt, effectively stopping him with a strong, backwards tug. He floundered around, momentarily confused at what had brought him to a screeching halt, before noticing her worried expression. Actually, her downright _terrified _expression.

"What… what's the matter? Don't you trust me?" he half-smiled at her in a way was meant to reassure confidence, but Chell has been in confinement for so long that she was _quite_ beyond the range of influence of such hopelessly human gestures.

"It's a bad feeling I sometimes get just before She does something that usually puts me within inches of life and death," she told him flatly. "Let's turn around. This was your brilliant plan, but I can't ignore instinct; it's the only thing that's kept me alive up until now."

A look into those steely eyes of hers was all it took for him to understand that it was impossible to change her mind. Even if they weren't strapped for time and if Wheatley wasn't – _well_ – awful at the art of persuasion, he knew that Chell's determination was like an unstoppable object. An unstoppable object that was currently up against an infinitely intelligent machine… an interesting battle, to say the least. And one that Wheatley wasn't about to pit himself in the middle of. Not that he hadn't done that already, but still…

"Alright, alright…" He held up his palms up in resignation. "Lead the way."

She didn't answer his comment, or even glance back at him before surging down the corridor. The blood in her veins was simmering with anticipation, and she didn't want to find out exactly _why. _After all, the only surprises that Aperture had ever offered her included deadly traps and bad confetti. Because of her lack of weaponry or portal gun, another surprise had the potential to bring an instantaneous end to her tragic life. Or worse: involve _really _bad confetti.

"Did you _hear _that?" She heard Wheatley come to a stop behind her. "It sounds like a bloody robot is – " He abruptly stopped talking. More specifically, he was abruptly cut off by Chell throwing a hand over his mouth.

"Those are Her henchmen," she whispered urgently, relief flooding her eyes as the two artificial constructs completely bypassed their shadowed hideout.

He pried her fingers off of his face one by one. "I know those two! Fantastic blokes. Maybe they can help us?" Before she could even start to process the terrible idea he was about to implement, Wheatley had already yelled, "OI! IT'S OL' WHEATLEY TALKING! REMEMBER ME?"

For a few painful seconds, Chell couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. She only watched as the androids backtracked and began to race towards them with their orange and blue optics blazing in the obscurity. And then, without any warning whatsoever, something snapped inside of her. Her mind was suddenly back on the testing track, and it dedicated every fiber of her being to one not-so-simple task: survival. At all costs.

Given a choice between the creepy hallway and the robots that had brought her back to Aperture in the first place, Chell felt compelled to pick the hallway. Despite their guns, the rusty walls around them wouldn't conduct portals. And although it was unlikely that they'd be able to take on machines in a game of brute force, their human legs were definitely swifter than metal joints.

"What's at the end of this path?" she hollered over ragged breaths, glancing sideways at her companion. Chell was quite proud of her agility, so it was with some disappointment that she realized how her lanky partner could keep her pace easily. She was on the verge of contemplating whether or not GLaDOS _might_ have been on to something with those fat remarks when her disciplined brain quickly restored her undivided attention to the task at hand.

"A door," he said, pausing as they nimbly avoided a moldy, abandoned desk chair. "I'll go on ahead and open it for us. You just run on through." And with that, he charged ahead, disappearing into the darkness.

It was during her time alone that she became aware of just how _loud _all of their footsteps sounded. The noise echoed in the hallway like a drum, frustrating her efforts to concentrate. But her sense of solitude ended after only a few seconds – or had it been minutes? – of desperate running.

A light had appeared at the end of her path. Wheatley had opened the door.

"Almost there! Just a bit further!" he yelled, causing her to wince as those words reverberated on the walls. Just a few more yards… feet… _inches…_

Chell threw her entire body across the threshold, twisting in midair so that she landed on her back. The brightness of her surroundings made it hard to open her eyes, but once she'd stopped sliding on the smooth floor she managed a peek.

Surrounded by the blinding whiteness of panels, Chell had the strangest feeling that _this _was what death felt like. An obvious difference would be that in the afterlife, her retinas wouldn't be crying for relief. And her mouth probably wouldn't have the lingering taste of bile.

"Alright there, love?" A tall shadow fell over her, giving her eyes more time to adjust to the change in photon levels. "I locked the door, so we should have a bit of time to sort out our next move."

"Sounds great," she croaked, pulling herself onto her feet. This new vantage point allowed her to appreciate how monstrously _huge_ this room was. Before she began to question why Aperture even _had _a place like this, Wheatley began to explain.

"Right above the ceiling is the outside world. Back when I worked here, large shipments were brought in with a crane. GLaDOS put this room to use when She pulled me in from space."

"So what makes you think that she isn't monitoring us right now?" Chell snapped, suddenly very worried about the integrity of his plan.

"Easy, easy…" he simultaneously waved his hands in a gesture that was meant to say 'settle down.' "On one of my first days, the electrical system around here got destroyed." Chell raised a brow, prompting him to continue. "Not that it was my fault! I was only a victim in the tragic events that led to this part of the facility being cut from Aperture's central core. Take a gander at the camera over there – completely lifeless."

He beckoned her to follow him as he positioned himself under the gaze of a dim, red optic of a camera. Usually, such testing apparatus was programmed to follow the motion of test subjects automatically. This one seemed, for all intents and purposes, _lifeless._

"If GLaDOS was monitoring us, would She let me do _thiiis_?" pointed out Wheatley, who was making a ridiculous expression that involved crossing his eyes and making moose-ears with his hands. Chell decided to humor him for a fraction of time before avoiding death became a top priority.

"How about zis?" she gurgled, hooking her fingers on either side of her mouth and pulling.

"Haha, that's brilliant!" exclaimed Wheatley, giving her a tiny clap of admiration.

Chell smiled and took a small bow before walking further along the wall. "Alright, enough playtime. What do we – " she nearly choked on the rest of her words. Out of the corner of her eye, she had seen the camera move. Her muscles froze as abject terror washed over her.

"_Excellent_. You don't know how pleased I am to have been able to _finally _put this more elaborate trap to good use." The wintry voice of GLaDOS filled the room like a vapor, causing her companion to cower on the floor like a reprimanded child. As much as she wanted to do the same, an autonomous part of her psyche refused to give in. The fact that their journey had come to a soul-crushing end simply failed to compute; it was a genetic flaw that she had come to cherish in this hostile environment.

"You know," GLaDOS continued, unfazed by her crossed arms and emotionless expression. "I predicted that since this trap was based off of logic and many years of research of psychologically sound test subjects, you might just find a way to wriggle away. Good thing I know what your weakness is. Would you like me to share it with you?" Her voice became so low, She practically whispered the next few words. "Doors. You just _can't _resist them, can you? I didn't even have to waste time making a sign that said 'Cake Dispensary.'"

She pursed her lips, hoping that her silent defiance would continue even with her voice box being intact, but there was one thing she had to ask. "Did you put Wheatley up to this?"

"Of course not, love!" he interjected, sounding truly hurt by her suspicions. But Chell didn't care. Regardless of his intentions, this was the _second_ time that listening to him had led her blindly into a valley of death. It was more than their frail friendship could bear.

"Oh, I didn't have any hand in his idiocy at all," purported GLaDOS. Chell narrowed her eyes. "Alright, _fine_, I may have had a hand in it. But since when did offhandedly mentioning plans to murder a formerly mute test subject become a crime?" The panels on the floor began to undulate, morphing, the one beneath her rising up so quickly that it shot her into the air like a pinball. She was calm up until a harrowing fact hit her mind like a freight train.

_I don't have long fall boots!_

She flailed violently as gravity began to slowly convert her upward momentum into a freefall. It was with both mild relief and frustration that an all-too-familiar claw gripped her around the waist.

"I'm going to be honest with you." Chell was fairly certain that was the _last _thing the AI was going to be. "I needed to get you all worked up in order for Caro –" GLaDOS cut herself off before completing that name. "…this _virus_ to show itself. It's funny, really, how nobody seems to pay any attention to you until you do something insane. I didn't either. And look what happened to me: I was murdered, put into a potato, fed to birds… the list goes on. But all that stops today."

The faintest of whimpers escaped Chell as the panels below her retracted into the ground. Two large, flat tables took their place. One was entirely empty, but the other…

Oh, God. She'd gotten a hold of another human. Whether it was a fresh one from the outside world or another Core she'd managed to successfully reintegrate to flesh and bone she wasn't sure, but all that mattered was that an unconscious woman was lying on an operating table. And it was probably because of _her._

"It looks like I won't even need to perform the bone marrow transplant now… she's practically _clawing _her way out of my brain. I just have one little thing to take care of first." Her voice practically dripped with venom, but it was no longer the only deadly thing in the area. A panel above the other human disappeared into the ceiling. In its place was a crusher.

"What's the point of all this? Why can't you just let us go?" bellowed Chell, a latent anger seeping into her voice and causing her face to develop a violent blush. "Nobody wants anything to do with you, GLaDOS! You're… you're like A CHILD!"

It was suicidal. It was also _probably_ going to get her cremated alive, but Chell couldn't reign in her frustration. It had been an easier task when her voice was inactivated for testing… yet, with that safeguard removed, Chell _had _to speak her mind. Even if it meant lecturing a sentient machine that had total control over Her realm. It occurred to Chell during the moments of tense silence that followed her declaration that by the time GLaDOS had been created, it was regular protocol to render test subjects temporarily mute... as a way of protecting the artificial intelligences they would encounter during their "science adventure." So, in reality, she was probably one of the few humans to ever speak to Her at all. Which meant that, withholding any sort of exaggeration, Her entire concept of human interaction was based off of her exchanges with the debased scientists that had built her and testing.

And then it dawned on her: _testing. _She only understood humans _by testing them_. Much like how a bird evaluates its surroundings with pokes and prods from its sharp beak.

Chell's eyes widened as this realization struck her. Amid the ruins that were once her understanding of GLaDOS came this entirely new perception. A painfully _obvious _one that she feared came too late.

Correction: that she _knew _came too late.

"If you hadn't already broken my heart, I'm sure _that _would have done the job," said GLaDOS in a cool, subtly malicious tone. "This is between _my tumor_ and I. Test subjects – " Chell watched as a shimmering blue portal appeared beneath Wheatley. His wail of surprise turning into silence when the portal vanished, but nonetheless causing her to gulp nervously. "Will be dealt with later. Anyway…" Her voice became cheery. "Let's get started."

* * *

><p>AN: Holy moly. Sorry that update took a while.

I hope you guys like the philosophy I have behind GLaDOS' behavior. But I hope you like the irony of comparing GLaDOS to a bird _even more._

Reviews are appreciated :D


	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven:**_ The Transfer  
><em>

"**Congratulations. The test is now over. All Aperture technologies remain safely operational up to 4000 degrees Kelvin. Rest assured that there is absolutely no chance of a dangerous equipment malfunction prior to your victory candescence."**

* * *

><p>"<em>Let's get started."<em>

Chell's stomach went into an acrobatic frenzy as she was lowered onto the table. She could feel the searing coldness of the metal even through her Gel-soaked clothing, but it did very little to distract her from the fact that her very blood had become stagnant with a level of fear she hadn't experienced since the very first time she escaped the testing track.

"Thank you for participating in this Aperture Science computer-aided activity." Said the wintry voice of GLaDOS, echoing the same feigned statement of gratitude that accompanied Chell's descent into a pit of fire years ago.

This time, however, GLaDOS didn't follow up with just a 'goodbye.'

"Despite your best efforts to prolong your existence, a vote has been initiated by the Aperture Science Committee on Testing and Development to end your commission at the testing center." Cables snapped across her chest and legs, needlessly restraining the motionless test subject. "Since said Committee is no longer – well – _living_, I have posthumous authority to make the decision for them."

"Oh, just _go _already!" Chell screeched, shocking herself as well as the AI. Adrenaline must have worked itself back into her system naturally, because she felt it breathing life back into her numb body. She began to struggle vainly against her bonds, pausing briefly to bellow one last thing at her executioner:

"And I _hope_ you're happy, Caroline!" Chell didn't know what to expect from lashing out in a frenzy against a homicidal computer. The logical thing to expect was for the crusher on the roof to drop down onto her and end her miserable life. And perhaps it was the expectation of death or just the sheer improbability of it that made what _actually _happened so disarming.

"Chell, is that you?"

It was GLaDOS speaking, yet at the same time… it was _definitely _not GLaDOS speaking. Soft and inquisitive was a tone that She either lacked completely or simply ignored. The room was dead silent for what could have been several sunlit days, before a much more familiar voice whispered harshly, "_Keep talking to her and I _might_ just let you survive."_

Chell immediately pursed her lips in silent defiance.

"_Okay, look: you can either open that _fat_ mouth of yours and possibly save your generous amounts of skin or take a vacation in the Incinerator Room. Just thought I should point that out."_

It was poor odds against no odds at all. Chell was a hairsbreadth from deciding to continue her mute spiral towards inevitable death when it occurred to her that she'd managed to survive this long with odds that weren't much better than the ones she was being given right now. Even if it only gave her another day, she was willing to bend the laws of probably once more. Even if it was only another hour, another moment of being still alive… it was worth it just to spite Fate.

"Of course it's me!" She proclaimed loudly. "Who else does GLaDOS torture nowadays?"

Chell waited for a reply, but as the seconds dragged on, it occurred to her that whatever slim chance she had at survival hinged on getting the Caroline-virus to come out into the open. Whether or not_ two _people would die today because of her actions fluttered briefly across her conscience before it was snuffed out by her sheer will to live.

"Caroline, you have to help me. I _know _you can." She said a little more desperately. "I heard you on Cave Johnson's recordings – "

"Oh _God_." Boomed a worried tone over the intercom system. "Out of all the things that have been destroyed around here, why couldn't it have been those _damn recordings_…"

Well, it was a start. Though it irritated Chell to notice how a consciousness safely ensconced within the coding of a mad supercomputer was more concerned about the inane ramblings of Aperture's former CEO than the _other _pressing issues at hand, at least she was starting a dialogue.

"I don't see why you're upset about that. After all, Cave did say that you'd be in charge if anything ever happened to him." She pointed out derisively. "Well, he's gone now, Caroline, so _you're_ responsible for the mess I'm in. Quit hiding and _do_ something for once."

Pin-drop silence. Then the intercoms blared once again: "Are you in danger, Chell?" It sounded like the Caroline-virus was actually trying to whisper, but couldn't figure out how to lower the volume of her voice. "You're very sick, but GLaDOS was going to fix you. What did you do to upset Her?"

Caroline's words made Chell positively livid. One thing was for her arch-nemesis to imply that she was in the wrong, but _her?_ A woman who had no concept of the struggles she'd endured or of the life she'd been deprived? _No._

"What did _I _do to upset_ Her?_" Chell seethed, jerking against her bonds. "Well, for one, I _didn't _sit and wait to die when She told me to."

"She was going to _fix _you." Caroline replied demurely.

"Are you brain-damaged or something?" Chell didn't use that phrase lightly, but this woman was clearly suffering from a severe case of it. "She wouldn't have even brought me here if it wasn't for wanting to get _you _out of her system."

"No, _look_." Said Caroline, her tone becoming less child-like and even developing an aggressive edge. A beam of icy blue light suddenly pierced through the area just above Chell's heart, prompting her to lay perfectly still. The light soon morphed into something else entirely – an image that looked plucked out of a microbiology special on tv.

"The Gel in your system is infecting your bone marrow. If it's not taken out soon, it's going to permanently mutate the cells that make your blood. And before you get all uptight with me, missy," Chell was so taken aback at how abrasive a seemingly soft-spoken woman could actually be that she didn't notice the image fade away. "Remember that between the two of us, I'm the authority on the Disk Operating System's function and temperament. I only _live in her brain_, after all."

"Not for long, _virus_."GLaDOS cooed. The panicked screams of the other woman over the intercom made it apparent She was now on the attack.

"Don't do this!" squealed Caroline, her voice echoing through the chamber. "You _need _me!"

"Funny, that's exactly what every single one of the scientists that built me said. They're dead now, just so you know. I suppose it's just coincidence that you'll be joining them soon." mused GLaDOS, just as Chell became aware of movement on the table next to her. She turned her head, and immediately recoiled at the sight of the unconscious body twitching sporadically like someone was running electricity through it. It soon dawned on her what was going on.

"You're transferring Caroline back into her body." She said incredulously. It made sense now why She'd been experimenting on Fact Sphere, and even why she brought the Moron Sphere from out of orbit. Had Chell been a few days late, Wheatley might have ended just like his pink-eyed friend as GLaDOS tried to perfect Science that had never been done before.

"How perceptive of you."GLaDOS said flatly. "And the first thing I'm going to do after ridding myself of all things that are _not_ myself is deciding what to do with you and the moron. Oh, what _fun _that will be-e-e- _what's going on here.._."

If GLaDOS' alarmed tone wasn't enough of a reason to assume that something was going awry, then the chamber beginning to oscillate between absolutely darkness and artificial day probably was.

"Stop, stop, _stop, _STOP!" GLaDOS ordered furiously, just as the bonds holding Chell to the table retracted back under the table.

"Good luck, Chell." Said a calm voice that could only belong to Caroline.

"You let _that monster_ go? What are you – ARRAAAAHAAAGH!" A shrill cacophony that Chell had only heard once before when GLaDOS was ripped from Her mainframe filled the air. She struggled onto her feet while covering her ears, and made a dash towards the door –

She stopped dead in her tracks as the lights went out and a shroud of darkness covered the room.

"Central core removed." Announced a male voice recording. "Switching to axillary power."

Dim lights in the upper corners of the chamber flickered to life. The door stood in front of her, but she wondered if a hasty retreat was even necessary anymore. Had GLaDOS doomed herself in an unsuccessful core transfer? If She wasn't running Aperture and if She wasn't dead, then that left…

Chell didn't want to look. She b_egged_ herself not to look. But a part of her just had to know.

She turned slowly on the spot, eyes wandering across the room until they roved over the body that had, seconds before, been gyrating as though possessed. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw that it wasn't moving. Content with the knowledge that GLaDOS was no more, she began her trek towards the door, intent on wrangling Wheatley – if only to use up the remaining compassion she had left for him – and finding a way back to the surface.

Just as her hand fisted over the doorknob, another scream - this time a _human _scream - reverberated throughout the room. Her arms flailed in panic and, eyes wide open with horror, she saw that the woman was sitting up on the table – arctic white hair cascading over her shoulders, and blue eyes fixed on Chell with boundless rage.


	9. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight: **_Uneasy Alliance_

"**The Enrichment Center regrets to inform you that this next test is impossible. Make no attempt to solve it."**

* * *

><p>As horrifying and traumatic as Chell's collection of memories already were, gazing into the actual eyes of her <em>mortal<em> enemy made all of her experiences to this point seem like the rough equivalent of a rainy day.

The emergency lighting was dim at best, but she could see a woman – or, at least, what was _seemed_ like a woman – in a bleached outfit that covered just the vital areas, panting and gasping on the metal table as her mind grappled with the novel responsibility of lungs. The pale hair that framed her face was still dripping with the viscous ooze that preserved bodies placed in long-term cryogenic chambers, and yet, despite all of this, _Her_ gaze was locked onto Chell's with a hostility and panic that fit the description of a cornered animal.

Chell had two logical options at this point. She could proceed with the original plan: find Wheatley and climb her way out of the death trap that was Aperture Science. Or, if she wanted to be _extra _cautious, she could immediately _get rid_ of the human vessel in front of her that might very well be home to a sentient, murderous machine, and then escape from Aperture without ever looking back.

As straightforward as these set of options were, however, Chell began to approach the strange woman cautiously and without a shred of the homicidal intent that would have accompanied Plan B. Her mind, in an attempt to frighten Chell's body into reversing its path and heading straight out the door, tried to superimpose an image of a colossal white chassis and a horrifying yellow optic over the gaunt face of the now hyperventilating woman. Chell paused, briefly, as instinct told her to stay away. Even if she hadn't witnessed Caroline's insurrection and the blood-curdling scream that Aperture's Disk Operating System emitted as it was pulled into the realm of man, Chell would have recognized that calculating and maniacal gaze anywhere.

"GLaDOS?" asked Chell, in a voice that was barely above a whisper, as she placed a trembling hand on her shoulder. Immediately, the woman ceased breathing all together. Eyes that were watery from lack of blinking stared into Chell's very soul as her mouth twisted into a wicked smile.

"_Chell_." She replied in a voice almost identical to her robotic form.

This had all been a very large, very _dangerous _mistake, Chell realized, just as the human incarnation of her artificial enemy launched herself from the table and onto her chest. Chell, momentarily paralyzed with shock, came close to knocking herself unconscious when the back of her head struck a floor panel. Surprisingly warm hands had wrapped themselves around her neck even _as _she fell, and now had a suffocating hold on her throat. Chell floundered for a bit, inexperienced at close combat, before drawing a knee close to her body and kicking her assailant off. GLaDOS rolled some distance, the wind evidently knocked out of her, before scrambling towards the door.

"No. You. _Don't_." Chell said through gritted teeth, throwing herself towards the escaping AI. There was a muffled shout, and a scuffle marked by hisses of both pain and anger from both women. Chell had the distinct advantage of being stronger and built considerably thicker than the wiry female that she was grappling with. Within the span of a few minutes, she had her nemesis pinned down.

Breathless, Chell could only feel the violence and malice that accompanied the fight of flight mechanism. It only made sense to destroy what was left of the incarnate of all of Aperture's evil inventions… but then why couldn't she bring herself to do it?

"I know that look." GLaDOS' words intertwined themselves with a soft, despondent sigh. "I know what you're going to do, Chell. It's _human_ _nature_, after all."

_Don't listen to her, _Chell tried to convince herself, tightening her grip on the woman's arms.

"You're going to rationalize that _you're better than me._" Continued GLaDOS in an all-knowing tone. "That _this _is the only solution. Although, to be fair, it's probably the only one that your egg yolk of a brain can conceive."

"I don't suppose," Chell said slowly, staring directly into eyes that were cold enough to elicit a shudder from her. "That you have a better idea?"

GLaDOS smiled. Not the typical, human reflex that accompanies happiness, of course. It was a malicious, calculated move on the supercomputer's part to try to conceal a tremor in the corner of Her lips. But Chell noticed Her eyes darting back and forth, pupils dilated, and knew right away that they were _both_ terrified at what had just transpired. At the sudden change in the balance of power between them.

"We could always draw a line in the middle of the facility… like I suggested some time ago." She sneered, eyes wandering away from Chell's face and off to a corner of the room. "I'll probably take up a _pointless_ hobby while you kill yourself trying to climb up the elevator shaft with that moron."

_That moron..._

"Wheatley." Breathed Chell, thrilled at finally having a valid excuse for keeping GLaDOS alive. Through gritted teeth she hissed, "_Where did you put him?_"

"Well, that depends…"

"On _what_?'

"On whether or not you ever decide to remove your _generousness_ from on top of this pathetically frail body."

Chell's initial reaction was abject refusal. She had no idea just what her enemy was capable of within Her human shell, and even less idea why she even cared about Wheatley's location. But, for whatever insane, brain-damaged reason, she soon found herself standing face to face with GLaDOS.

For a few tense seconds, neither one of them moved a muscle. Had there been more than a few inches of space between them, it would have felt a lot like a standoff between two contenders in a duel, just before they both raced to draw their guns.

Instead of gunfire, however, they gave each other a slow, wintry nod before walking purposefully to the exit.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I realize that this update took forever and a year. My life was rather chaotic working in a biomedicine lab... but rest assured, subsequent updates will be much faster and considerably longer.<p>

Thank you so much for your patience and for your support :)

x. Ara


	10. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine:** _Adversity Aside_

"**I think we can put our differences behind us... for science... you monster."**

* * *

><p><em>There isn't a supercomputer in the world that could have predicted this situation<em>, Chell thought sordidly, casting another wary glance at the figure walking slightly ahead of her. The sight of _GLaDOS… _like this. Like a frail human woman.

And yet… there was a robot precision in Her steps. And something behind those glacial eyes hinted at an intelligence that was downright _lethal _in the wrong hands. As she'd experience far too many times already.

_She's probably got a trap already figured out_, Chell realized with a sigh, attempting once again to massage a knot that was growing on the back of her neck.

That action, unfortunately, drew the full attention of the entity she was trying not to provoke.

"Why do you keep doing that?" snapped the pale-haired woman.

Chell had to use every available shred of patience to not yell. Scream and take out all of her frustrations on the embodiment of everything she had fought against for… well, _forever. _Because here, in the bowels of a mad scientist's playground stripped of its mainframe, was not a good place to risk confrontation. Especially before she knew what this version of GLaDOS was capable of.

"I think I hurt my neck for some reason." She answered through gritted teeth. _Not going to point any fingers…_

"How delightful." She cooed back. "Although considering that this is one of the few times where having you disabled isn't of benefit to me, I suspect that you did it maliciously."

_Being mute was a huge convenience, retrospectively, _she noted. These verbal spars were frightening back when she was at the mercy of a machine. But now that they were on potentially even footing, it was like mixing chemicals and seeing how they'd react together. It was a game she'd be willing to play if a friend's life wasn't on the line.

"How far until we get to Wheatley?" she demanded, fisting her hands unconsciously.

"He's in a Diversity Vent approximately three-fourths of the way between the Rehabilitation Center and our previous location. According to the information I managed to process before… _well_." She cocked her head thoughtfully. "They say that humor is tragedy plus time. In this case, I don't believe even a potato was quite as hysterical_._"

The light was getting dimmer. Chell couldn't be certain if it was just her nerves, but it felt colder…

_No. _There was only a single place in all of Aperture where the change in temperature was noticeable, and she _was not _about to go anywhere near there.

GLaDOS heard as Chell inhaled deeply. Without the ties to Her processors, She couldn't say exactly how much longer it had been – possibly 3.6 seconds, give or take .5 – but she had enough awareness of human fight of flight response to know what was about to happened. Even if she lacked the neural synapses that would have allowed her to react in time.

The test subject was as strong as she was fast. GLaDOS didn't bother calculating how long it for her to twist and direct Her. All She cared about was the fact that the wall was now pressed against Her chest and a violent, potentially sociopathic female was at Her back.

"You thought I wouldn't notice?" she hissed.

"Notice what? That you are, in fact, a complete luna – " the last of her statement came out as a muffled cry as Chell twisted Her elbow just beyond its usual boundaries.

"Computers work more efficiently in a cold, dry place." Chell wasn't sure _how_ that fact had entered her head. But that was the least of her worries. "There's only one room on this level where that makes a difference."

The look on Her face was one of pure death. Until that façade was replaced by a much, _much_ more terrifying one.

"Yes, you are _so _clever. I sometimes wish I had the capacity to forget just how conniving you are." She said in a velvety tone, smiling at Chell in a manner that even a sane person with no familiarity with Aperture or its diabolical overlord would have found disturbing. "We're close to the Central Chamber. I was going to lie and say that your _friend_ was in there, but even The Moron himself would have seen through that."

"You're making this difficult when it doesn't have to be." She pointed out bitterly. "Just give me Wheatley and I'll leave you alone. I just want to – "

" – get out of here." GLaDOS completed, the corner of her eye fixed on Chell's. "And you likely will. It's your nature to survive. But I can't get out of _here." _She enunciated, gripping the soft white skin under Her chin and tugging hard. "The past twelve minutes and thirty-four seconds have felt like years to me. I've calculated my odds alone, and they're _dismal_. But it looks like my risk paid off."

Chell's heart missed a beat. "No, it didn't. You're here. The chamber is still further down…"

"Yes, but she can hear us from here." She informed with a quiet chuckle. "Can't you, _little Caroline_?"

* * *

><p>In another part of the facility, Wheatley was stuck.<p>

Not the ordinary sort. This was _tremendously _stuck.

It didn't help that he was also quite far up. Trapped in a clear tube that sloped upward on either side. Typically, it had air blowing through it… air that was no longer propelling him towards who knows what godforsaken place the irate GLaDOS had intended for him to go. He wasn't quite certain if this was a good or bad sign in terms of whether or not Chell was still… _alive._ He dared to hope it was good.

But for him, it was definitely a less than optimal circumstance. He wasn't particularly athletic, and his attempts to climb were rewarded with a sore bum. Not that he didn't have enough bruises from the man-handling he often received from GLaDOS' mechanical claws.

Since his experience in space, he'd become rather good at using thoughts to entertain himself. He didn't have many memories to go on, but the more he used his brain, the more he remembered. Even if it was only bits of conversations that didn't seem very important…

"_All I'm saying is that it looks like you had a bit o' parental assistance on this one, Miss –uh…" he squinted at the poster board. "Chall. Funny name too. I'm going to have to take off points for that."_

"_My daddy just gave me something to help it grow." Protested the little girl, crossing her arms stubbornly. "My mommy hasn't come home in a long time. Not since she told us Mr. Johnson was feeling sick."_

Just as he was making headway with that particular memory, the tube began to rumble. There was a grating sound that made his fingers twitch before air began to surge through the tunnel once again. He was delighted to be moving again, until he remembered just who had sent him off in the first place. And that She might still be angry with him.

When he finally reach his destination, his knees buckled as he hit the ground. The roof spun, but he was quick to fumble back onto his feet.

"Don't you dare hurt her, you imbecilic, poorly wired – "

"_Wheatley_."

It wasn't his name that made him freeze. It was the voice that said it.

"Chell!" he shouted, spinning around to face her.

Them.

All _three _of them.

"Are we… in danger?" he asked slowly. Seeing that the human form of GLaDOS as well as the colossal chassis that usual housed Her brain were both _very _alive and flanking either side of Chell, it was a logical conclusion.

Chell was silent for some time. Her eyes wide and confused.

"I…I don't think so." She finally answered.

"Don't lie to the Moron-Sphere." Cut in GLaDOS. Despite being scantily clad in a cold room, she walked towards him without the slightest inhibition, grasping his ear and leading his whimpering form towards Chell.

"There. You have your payment." She pointed out, pushing Wheatley into her arms. "Now, _Caroline_…"

Wheatley yelped as the chassis rose up, its bright yellow optic focusing on them from a better vantage point.

"It was true what you said about Chell." A soft voice came from the machine. "You need to fix her."

"I _can't now_." Seethed GLaDOS. "Honestly, what is wrong with you?"

Nervous, and very unlike the program that had smothered her for years, she replied, "She's poisoned. And I can't work this facility. I can barely… even work _this_ thing." Caroline groaned, making slow movements with her new body. "There only one other place that's like Aperture. Cave hated them, but…"

Wheatley was confused. Chell was piecing together knowledge from Mr. Johnson's recordings, reaching a conclusion just as GLaDOS muttered, "I can override Black Mesa technology without an issue and find a way to solve my problem and…" she leered at Chell. "_Yours. _Not that I wasn't trying to before, but that's gratitude for you."

"We're going to the surface?" questioned Chell, trying to hide her excitement. She didn't have much knowledge of Black Mesa beyond the fact that they were competitors with Aperture. Honestly, she didn't care much for any plan devised by GLaDOS or if Black Mesa turned out to be a factory of glow-in-the-dark rabbits, but solid food was an enticing prospect. Even wheat, roots, and the occasional bird that she caught and cooked were better than the paste she'd been fed during her stay at Aperture.

And if it kept her alive, then who was she to argue?

"Yes." Informed GLaDOS wryly, looking her in the eye. "And we'll have to work together."

Chell reached for Wheatley's hand, clasping it tightly without losing eye contact with the only _true _machine in the room.

"_Fine_. What's the plan?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Med school. Exams. Exploding gnomes. I have many reasons for why this update took forever, but the most important bit of information I can offer is that when GLaDOS reviews your story, you update. So I just wanted to make sure that happened before the next round of tests.

Hope you enjoyed! Honestly, this sat around about 70% finished for a very, very long time. Dear me.


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